Bill Would Increase DIC for Some Surviving Spouses

Surviving spouses of service members who died on active duty or from injury or illness related to their military service would receive a 12 percent increase in the dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) they receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs, under a measure now pending before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. If passed, the hike would bring DIC in line with similar compensation surviving spouses of federal civil servants. The measure, HR-2243, would also end the dollar-for-dollar offset reduction of Survivor Benefit Plan income for DIC-eligible surviving spouses of military retirees. Reps. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., and Tim Walz, D-Minn., introduced the measure. Buyer is ranking minority member of the House Veterans’ Committee.