Spousal VA Benefits

Spouses of veterans, service members, or those who died while on active duty may be eligible for various VA benefits, including healthcare, financial, education, and burial.

Every spouse of a military veteran should know of these benefits and take advantage of them if the qualifications are met.

Two key things to note:

Remarriage:
Remarriage can affect eligibility for some benefits, such as the Survivors Pension. 

Income Limits:
Some benefits, like the Survivors Pension, are needs-based and have income limits. 

CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs):
Provides health care benefits to the spouses, dependents, and survivors of veterans who meet certain service-connected disability requirements. It does so on a cost sharing basis. You pay a $50-$100 deductible annually and cover 25% of the cost for visits. You can have insurance that covers that 25%. You will never pay more than $3,000 per year. If you don’t qualify for TRICARE you can get CHAMPVA. You can use any doctor near you without a referral (in most cases).

If you and your spouse are both Veterans, you may each qualify for both VA health care and CHAMPVA. If you enroll in both programs, you can choose to use either VA health care or CHAMPVA each time you need care.

Dental: If you’re enrolled in CHAMPVA, you can purchase dental insurance through the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP). VADIP offers dental insurance at a reduced cost.

Vision: It offers limited vision coverage. It doesn’t cover eyeglasses or contact lenses except in certain cases.

Prescription: It covers prescription.

TRICARE:
Spouses of active-duty service members may be eligible for TRICARE health care benefits

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC):
A tax-free monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of a military service member who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, or a veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease. 

Survivors Pension:
A needs-based, tax-free monetary benefit for unmarried surviving spouses or children of wartime veterans, with income limits.  Visit the VA Survivors Pension webpage to learn more and apply.

Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP):
A type of insurance plan (managed by the Department of Defense) the deceased veteran elects upon retirement from military service, which paid in monthly premiums that may provide coverage to beneficiaries of up to 55% of the veteran’s retirement pay.  Visit the Survivor Benefit Plan webpage to learn more and apply.

Burial Benefits:
VA provides burial benefits to help cover costs for a veteran’s burial, plot, and transportation to spouse and dependents.  Visit the VA Burial Benefits webpage to learn more and apply.

VA-Guaranteed Home Loans:
Spouses of veterans, service members who died of service-related disabilities, or who died while on active duty may be eligible for VA-guaranteed home loans.  Visit the VA-Guaranteed Home Loan webpage to learn more and apply.

Education and Career Benefits:
Spouses of veterans may be eligible for certain education and career benefits.  This includes money for school or to help you cover expenses while you’re training for a job. Visit the VA Educational & Career Benefits webpage to learn more and apply.

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program:
If you’re the spouse or child of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program.

You cannot receive this (DEA) benefit together with the DIC benefit.

This benefit provides a monthly payment to help you cover the cost of school or your expenses while you’re participating in on-the-job training or an apprenticeship. It provides up to 36 months of benefits.

Learn more about the DEA BENEFITS

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers:
If you are caring for a Veteran with a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for support and services.  These include a monthly stipend, travel expenses, training, etc. Visit the VA Family Caregivers webpage to learn more and apply.

The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA):
 Take advantage of the MSRRA to gain tax advantages. It allows military spouses to:
1. Claim the same state of domicile as their service member for tax purposes.
2. Withhold State and local taxes based on an address other than their duty station or residence address documented in the Payroll/Personnel System (PPS).
3. Keep their former residency for tax purposes throughout the marriage if they move to a new state due to the servicemember spouse being posted for military duty.
4. Choose their service member’s state of legal residence even if they have not lived in that state

Property Tax Exemptions:
Many states offer property tax exemptions to veterans. These tax breaks also extend to surviving spouses.

Military Spouse Certification Reciprocity:
It refers to the ability of a military spouse with an occupational license or certification in one state to practice in another participating state through “privilege to practice” policies.

The 2023 Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act amended the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to ensure military spouses could easily take their professional license with them when they PCS to a new state. Many states have implemented professional license portability measures for military spouses that may include expedited applications, temporary licenses or license reciprocity.

Lastly, if you happen to move from one state to another due to change-of-station orders, you may be eligible for reimbursement of licensing costs up to $1,000.

Visit the DOL webpage to learn more and see which states already have reciprocity in place.

Military Spouse Training & Certification Resources:
Military spouses seeking professional certifications can leverage these resources which offer financial assistance, career coaching, and job placement support. 

Hiring Preferences:
Most state hiring preferences for veterans also extend to their spouses.

Personal Financial Assistance:
Utilize the many resources that provide veterans and their families with personal financial assistance.

Military Child Care Program:
This resource was designed to help you find DoD approved childcare facilities worldwide.  Use it to find childcare facilities near you.

Divorce:
Military retired pay is divisible in a divorce (under The Uniform Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA)). State courts are allowed to split retired pay 50/50 based on the value of that military pension at the time of retirement.

Benefits are frozen as of the date of the divorce and the spouse’s portion is based on the time in service and service member’s rank during the marriage.

If the spouse has been married to the veteran for at least 10 credible service years they can have the direct that payments be made directly from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).

Disability pay is not considered as asset during a divorce.

If the former spouse was married to the service member for at least 20 years of their military service prior to the divorce, the spouse is entitled to lifetime military benefits including commissary, medical benefits, and military exchanges. 

DD-214:
As a spouse you can request a copy of the veteran DD-214 should you need it to file for benefits in the absence of the veteran.

ID Card:
As a Spouse/Dependent you can be issued a government ID card known as the “Next Generation Uniformed Services ID Card (or Next Generation USID Card). You must be a Spouse/Dependent of:

-Active-duty Service members of the regular components
-Reserve component Service members on active duty for more than 30 days
-Retirees
-Medal of Honor recipients
-Former members in receipt of retired pay
-Transitional Health Care Members (TAMP)
-100% Disabled Veterans
-Ship’s Officers and Crewmembers of NOAA Vessels
-Reserve members not on active duty or in receipt of retired pay
-Former members not in receipt of retired pay
-Reserve Service members who die after receipt of NOE
Surviving Dependents of:
-Active duty and retired Service members
-Medal of Honor recipients
-Other benefits-eligible categories as described in DoD policy

Apply/Renew an ID card.

Networking:
Use these networking resources to connect with other military spouses.
Career Military Spouses Group (Facebook)
Jen Mcdonald (X)
Military Spouse Professional Networking Group (Facebook)
Military Spouse Support Group (Facebook)
National Military Spouse Network Group (Facebook)
Official Army Wife 101 (X)
Soldier’s Wife (X)
USO
Veteran Spouse Network