State/Federal Benefits for Surviving Spouses

Where can I find information on state and federal benefits available to surviving spouses of military veterans?

  There are numerous federal benefits available to the survivors of veterans from DoD and Veterans Affairs (VA).  The following link is to just one website that discusses some of these benefits, like Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Aid and Attendance, CHAMPVA, burial benefits, etc.  Surviving Spouse Benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (veteransaidbenefit.org)  

  There are also state-level benefits available to those who meet specific criteria, but there is no one-stop-shop website for military survivors.  The number of benefits offered to veterans can vary from state to state with some offering as many as 60 and others as few as 22.  The challenge is determining which of those benefits are passed on to the survivor after the veteran or servicemember dies.  To determine what state benefits are available to survivors, begin by looking at the individual state benefits for veterans using the following link: State Veteran Benefit Finder | Center for a New American Security (en-US) (cnas.org)   Once on the site, locate the state you are targeting and then search for the “Beneficiary” category. It is important to verify your eligibility since some of the webpages might be outdated.

Some state benefits include (again, they vary by state):

·         Academic scholarships

·         Property tax exemption or reduction of property tax (For example: Military surviving spouses who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation from the VA are eligible for up to a $45,000 deduction in the assessed value of their home for property tax purposes.)

·         Survivor Benefit Plan tax exemption for state tax

·         Free admission to national parks

·         Free fishing and hunting license