Is My Mother Entitled To A Survivor’s Pension After My Dad’s Death?

Family members of veterans often inquire about a possible survivor's pension at Tindall Funeral Home.

About The Survivor’s Pension Plan

If your father received a monthly pension from the VA Survivor's Pension and passed, your mother could be eligible for a survivor's pension. She must meet the following requirements to receive one:

• Meet the legal definition of "spouse" of a deceased VA member.
• Meet the requirements of a deceased VA member's surviving spouse or common-law partner; a common-law partner is a person of either sex who has stayed with the individual in a married relationship for at least a year.
• She might be entitled to this payment if she was the deceased's lawfully separated spouse and there was no common-law partner.

Other Eligibility Criteria for a Survivor's Pension Plan

If your father was a service member and he died while on active duty, active duty training, or inactive duty training, or if your mother married the veteran before January 1, 1957, or if she was married to your father for at least a year before his death, then you qualify. She should check with the VA Survivor's Pension to see if she is now eligible for a survivor's benefit if she was previously disqualified because she remarried.

• She will only receive the larger of the two survivor pensions if she has been widowed multiple times.
• The pension will remain in effect even if she remarries.
• She could be eligible for additional VA Survivor's Pension benefits.

In addition to the VA survivor's pension, she might be entitled to:

• The death benefit
• Some advantages for children under 25

Contact us for advice or information on our cremation pre-planning services or cremation urns. Our staff is here to help you with all the details you need.