Caring for Survivors Act of 2025
The Caring for Survivors Act of 2025 would significantly change how Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is calculated and paid to surviving spouses and other eligible survivors of veterans. The key change is to replace a fixed dollar base with a percentage-based amount tied to the veteran's disability compensation rates, effectively indexing DIC to VA-set benefit rates. The bill also expands and adjusts eligibility rules for survivors of veterans who were totally disabled at death, lowering the required duration of total disability from 10 years to 5 years and creating a pro-rated payment mechanism for those with shorter periods of disability. Additionally, a transitional provision protects certain survivors who lost a veteran before 1993 by ensuring they receive the higher of the old or new benefit calculations after a six-month implementation period.
Key Points
- 1Replaces the current fixed DIC base for surviving spouses with an amount equal to 55 percent of the monthly rate under 1114(j) (instead of a flat $1,154).
- 2Effective six months after enactment for most cases; includes a special rule for certain individuals (survivors whose veteran died before Jan 1, 1993) to receive the greater of the pre-enactment 1311 amount or the new 1311 amount, starting six months after enactment.
- 3Section 1318 changes for survivors of veterans rated totally disabled at death:
- 4- If the continuous period of total disability before death is less than 10 years, the amount payable under 1318(a)(1) will be pro-rated relative to 10 years.
- 5- The eligibility threshold in subsection (b)(1) is lowered from 10 or more years to five or more years.
- 6Overall, these changes expand eligibility and adjust payment amounts to be more closely tied to VA compensation rates and length of service-related disability.