5 Benefits for Veterans’ Spouses
Getting by can be hard as you age. You thought you’d set plenty away for retirement, but there are more expenses than you’d expected, and health care seems to eat up more of your budget every year. It can get pretty disheartening.
If you’re struggling to cover all the costs of life as you age, it’s worth pursuing any resources or benefits you can. If your spouse was a veteran, their service to the country entitles you both to some benefits that can help, even if your husband or wife is no longer with us.
1. Aid and Attendance Benefit
The Aid & Attendance Benefit is both one of the most valuable benefits available to veterans and their spouses and one of the most underutilized. Many veterans’ spouses that could be taking advantage of the benefit don’t even know it exists.
A surviving spouse can qualify for up to $1,149 a month to help cover the cost of services like assisted living or in-home care, or up to $2,120 a month if both you and your spouse qualify. Think of how much easier that would make affording those monthly assisted living bills. This benefit is only available for those who need daily assistance with tasks like getting dressed, bathing, and eating meals, but the veterans’ spouses in that category are often those that need the most financial help. Find out if you’re eligible with this short 1-minute questionnaire.
2. CHAMPVA
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) covers the cost of most health care services and supplies that the program deems necessary. To be eligible for CHAMPVA, you must be the spouse of a veteran who was disabled by a service-related injury or killed in the line of duty.
You can be enrolled in either TRICARE or CHAMPVA, but not both, so if you’re currently using TRICARE and most of your needs are covered, then CHAMPVA’s not for you. If you think you may qualify though and you’re in need of help with health care costs, look into CHAMPVA to see if it’s the best choice for you.
3. Tax Breaks
Military families qualify for a number of tax breaks that can be a big help to you come tax time, if you know to take advantage of them. Military spouses can benefit when moving and selling their home, get retirement perks, and enjoy other benefits exclusive to military families. You can also receive free tax help at your nearest base through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. If you’re a military spouse, it’s worth working with someone familiar with all the benefits military families qualify for when you file your tax returns, so you don’t miss out.
4. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a benefit available to spouses of veterans who died in active duty or due to injuries obtained while on active duty. If that’s your situation, you could be eligible for an extra $1,233 per month to help you cover your costs, and the monthly rate will go up if you have additional dependents.
5. Military Aid Societies
Military Aid Societies were developed to help veterans and their families in times of financial distress. The Air Force Aid Society, The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and Army Emergency Relief all exist to help service members and their families with financial counseling, loans, and grants.
Being a veteran’s spouse isn’t easy. The service provided by your spouse was noble, but it came at a cost for you and the rest of your family too. These resources are all available in recognition of how much work and sacrifice military families must make, in the hopes that your later years will be a little easier to manage.
Kristen Hicks
Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.
7 Comments
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I had herniated a disk when I was called up to active duty in 08-09. I was Stationed At Mobile Security Squadron 6 in Portsmouth, VA. I argued my injury with NMPS Norfolk about it being a line of duty and not a retention board. I was released from active duty without a board and it took till 2014 to get a board and they retired me last year. in the mean time I lost 20k from 09-14 , 15 on I lost between 50 k and 60 k this last year because I can no longer do my civilian job. All those thing they say they will help you and your family with that a bunch of lies when you try to apply for those they say we do not qualify or some run around. So my family has to lose stuff and go without because those programs do not help people.
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Hi my name is betty rittenberry. I am in need of help about funds to help get my husband a tomb stone. I also would like to find out about a supplement police for my medicare. Please any information would be helpful.
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I am a USA veteran. I would like to find out if my spouse is entitled to audiology testing at our local VA facility.
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I want to know if a spouse can get PSTD from her vet. husband. Never worked a day in her life. and was never in the battle field. Some quack said she had this .
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How long do you have to be married to receive your husbands benefits
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Thank you
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I am doing this for my mom, my dad was in world war 2, I was told she might have benefits. She will be 89 in march she can not read or write she needs home care and cannot afford it. At the VA they said because my dad never filed a claim she could get benefits is this true I understand this is free if not thanks anyway
