Survivors
Survivors Pension
A tax-free monthly benefit for eligible surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of deceased wartime veterans with limited income.
There’s a free calculator on this page - estimate your monthly survivors pension. No sign-up, no cost.
Who this is for
If you lost the spouse who served during a wartime period and you are getting by on less than you used to, the VA may owe you a monthly, tax-free check. Survivors Pension fills the gap between your income and a guaranteed minimum for an unmarried surviving spouse or dependent child - and the money you spend on your own care can raise the amount.
In plain language
What Survivors Pension covers
- Based on yearly income and net worth limits set by the VA
- Requires the veteran to have served during a recognized wartime period
- Can be increased with Aid & Attendance or Housebound benefits
- A meaningful source of steady income for survivors on a fixed budget
Glad You Asked: VA Pension for SurvivorsOfficial video - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
$163,699
Net-worth limit (Dec 2025 - Nov 2026)
Tax-free
The monthly benefit is never taxed as income
Wartime service
Veteran needed one day during a recognized wartime period
Estimate your monthly survivors pension
Survivors Pension estimator
As the unmarried surviving spouse or child of a wartime veteran, your tax-free pension is the gap between your countable income and the current 2026 Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR). Unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of the MAPR lower your countable income, and Aid & Attendance or Housebound raises the rate - so most survivors receive more than a quick guess suggests.
Who is applying?
How much daily help do you need?
Aid & Attendance and Housebound raise the maximum rate, but you cannot receive both at once - the VA pays the higher one. A doctor confirms the level of care you need.
Your household
Do you have a dependent child?
Additional dependent children
Beyond the first dependent above
Your yearly finances
Social Security, pensions, wages, interest - before taxes.
Assisted living, in-home aides, insurance premiums, prescriptions. These can raise your payment.
Enter your yearly income to see your estimate
Pension fills the gap between your income and the maximum rate. Fill in Step 4 and your tax-free monthly amount appears here.
Estimate only. Net worth must be under $163,699. Rates adjust yearly with the COLA - confirm on va.gov.
This calculator is free. No sign-up, no catch.
Most people in this business hide tools like this behind a paywall or a sign-up form. We don’t. Use it as much as you need. And if you want a real accredited agent to look at your actual claim, we’re one call away — it’s free to talk, and free to file your claim.
Albert L. Thombs Jr. — VA-accredited claims agent (#45147), a disabled veteran with a team of advocates who do this every day.
How the money really works
The parts of pension people get wrong
The estimator gives you a number. This shows you why it lands there - the arithmetic, the three levels of the benefit, the net-worth test, and the mistakes that get good claims denied.
Worked example
How care costs turn “too much income” into a real check
Meet a single surviving spouse living on $15,000/yr (Social Security and a small pension), paying $20,000/yr for daily help and needing Aid & Attendance. On paper that income looks too high. Watch what actually happens.
- 1Maximum rate for this situation (Aid & Attendance)$18,697
- Out-of-pocket care counted – $20,000 minus the 5% threshold ($585)-$19,415
- 3Countable income – $15,000 income minus the care deduction$0
- 4Yearly pension the VA pays (rate minus countable income)$18,697
Estimated monthly, tax-free
$1,558
about $18,697 per year
Without counting those care costs, the same surviving spouse would see only about $308/month. The medical deduction is the whole game - and it is exactly what most people miss.
Basic, Housebound, or Aid & Attendance
These are the three levels of the same benefit. The more daily help you need, the higher the maximum rate - here are the 2026 ceilings for a surviving spouse.
Basic pension
You get through the day without regular help from another person.
$975/mo max
up to $11,699 per year
Housebound
A disability keeps you mostly confined to your home.
$1,192/mo max
up to $14,298 per year
Aid & Attendance
You need another person to help with daily activities, or you live in a care facility.
$1,558/mo max
up to $18,697 per year
These are maximum rates. The VA pays the gap between the rate and your countable income, so your actual check depends on your finances. You cannot receive Housebound and Aid & Attendance at once - the VA pays the higher one.
The $163,699 net-worth test
To qualify, your assets plus your annual income must stay under this limit (Dec 1, 2025 - Nov 30, 2026). What surprises people is what the VA leaves out.
Counts toward the limit
- Savings, checking, and investment accounts
- Stocks, bonds, and CDs
- A second property or land you do not live on
- Your annual income counts on top of assets
Does NOT count
- The home you live in (and a reasonable lot)
- Your vehicle
- Normal household goods and personal effects
- Out-of-pocket medical costs (they lower income)
The 3-year look-back trap: giving away money or property to get under the limit can backfire. The VA reviews transfers from the last 3 years and can set a penalty period - roughly one month of ineligibility for about every $2,874 transferred. Talk it through before you move any assets.
Why pension claims stall or get denied
The benefit is real, but the paperwork is unforgiving. These are the reasons good claims come back denied - and every one of them is avoidable.
Net worth over the limit
Assets plus annual income top the $163,699 ceiling. Note what does NOT count - your home, your vehicle, and normal household goods.
Gifting inside the 3-year look-back
Money or property transferred for less than fair value in the last 3 years can trigger a penalty period that delays payments.
No qualifying wartime service on file
The VA cannot find 90+ days of active duty with at least one day in a recognized wartime period. The DD-214 has to show it.
Care costs never documented
The single biggest miss: income looks too high because nobody subtracted the out-of-pocket aide, assisted-living, or insurance costs that lower it.
Aid & Attendance claimed with no exam
Asking for the higher rate without a physician’s statement (VA Form 21-2680) that spells out the daily help you need.
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click. Here is the whole story in plain language, so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- For an unmarried surviving spouse or child of a wartime veteran, based on income and net worth.
- Same net worth limit as Veterans Pension: $163,699 (Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026).
- Can be increased with Aid & Attendance or Housebound if you need daily help or are largely confined to home.
- The same 3-year look-back on transferred assets applies.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
How income and net worth set the amount
- This is a tax-free monthly benefit for an unmarried surviving spouse or child of a wartime veteran who had limited income.
- The VA sets a Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) and pays the gap between your countable income and that rate, spread out into monthly payments.
- The net worth limit is $163,699 from Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026, and it counts your assets plus annual income. The home you live in and your vehicle do not count. These figures adjust yearly - confirm the current number on va.gov.
The wartime service requirement
- The veteran generally must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. The exact dates differ by war (World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and later).
- You do not need the veteran to have seen combat - only to have served during the qualifying dates.
Aid & Attendance can raise it - and the 3-year look-back
- If you need daily help with things like bathing or dressing, or you are largely confined to your home, an added Aid & Attendance or Housebound amount can increase the monthly payment.
- The VA looks back 3 years at assets you gave away or transferred for less than fair value. That can create a penalty period, so ask before signing anything over to family.
Your family’s complete benefit picture
You do not have to sort this out alone
Survivors Pension often stacks with the other benefits below. Our free assistant explains it in plain language, and an accredited specialist can review your situation at no cost.
Worth knowing
Aid & Attendance can raise your payment
If you need daily help with things like bathing or dressing, or you are largely confined to home, an added Aid & Attendance or Housebound amount can increase your monthly pension.
The VA pays the gap between your countable income and the Maximum Annual Pension Rate - and your home and vehicle do not count toward the net-worth limit.
3-year look-back
The VA reviews assets transferred for less than fair value in the 36 months before filing - ask before signing anything over to family.
No combat required
The veteran only needed to serve during qualifying wartime dates, not to have seen combat.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
Gather
Collect proof of service and income
You will need proof of the veteran’s wartime service and your own income and net-worth figures.
File the form
Submit VA Form 21P-534EZ
This one form can start your survivors pension - file online at va.gov, by mail, or with free accredited help.
If you need care
Add Aid & Attendance
Include a physician’s statement (VA Form 21-2680) to raise your monthly amount if you need daily help.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
VA Benefits Hotline
Compensation, pension, and general claim questions.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
Not sure who to call? Start here. One number for anything VA - they route you to the right office.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Not sure where to start?
File VA Form 21P-534EZ with proof of the veteran's wartime service and your income and net worth.
More support for survivors & family
These often go hand in hand - tap any card to learn more.
Get a free benefit review
Tell us how to reach you and an accredited team member will help you understand this benefit and claim everything you have earned. No cost, no obligation.
Not sure if this applies to you?
Ask our free assistant a few plain questions and get an honest read on what you and your family may qualify for - at no cost.
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