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Army Widow Benefits

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Deceased veterans are eligible for burial in national cemeteries such as Arlington National Cemetery.

The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs provide widows of Army service members and veterans with certain benefits. The Department of Defense provides a Casualty Assistance Officer to help widows of active duty Army personnel who pass away as a result of military service. Army widows of veterans deal directly with the VA to file benefit claims.

  1. Burial Benefits

    • Army widows have access to burial benefits to help minimize or decrease the cost of funerals for service members and veterans. Deceased soldiers are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, a marble government headstone and a burial flag, according to the V,. In addition, widows are eligible to receive a Presidential Memorial Certificate to commemorate the service of deceased military personnel and signed by the sitting president of the United States. A burial allowance is also available to widows to pay for the cost of funeral expenses. The burial allowance is a maximum of $2,000 for a soldier on active duty, a maximum of $300 for deaths unrelated to military service and $300 to cover the cost of the burial plot, according to the VA.

    Financial Compensation

    • Eligible Army widows receive a monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefit. The benefit is a monthly payment that starts at $1,154 per month and increases if the widow has children or of the spouse is house-ridden or needs additional medical aid, according to the VA. In addition, some widows may be eligible for life insurance benefits if the Army service member or veteran was insured under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance or Veterans Group Life Insurance. The surviving spouse must submit form SGLV 8283 to file a claim for SGLI or VGLI benefits along with a copy of the death certificate of the deceased service member holding the policy.

    Education

    • The Dependent's Educational Assistance program grants access to education and training opportunities to spouses and dependents of qualifying Army veterans and active service members. Eligibility is open to widows whose veteran or active duty spouse dies from military service, service-connected disability, personnel missing in action and prisoners of war. This education benefit provides widows with a maximum 45 months of financial benefits to pay for college education, certificate programs, correspondence courses and apprenticeships. The VA prohibits use of the education benefits after 10 years of the death of the veteran.

    Home Loan

    • Spouses also have access to the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program to finance a home. Since July 2008, the program limits use of the VA home loan to spouses of deceased Army service members on active duty or veterans who pass away in connection with a disability related to service in the Army. In addition, home loan eligibility is only available to widows who have not remarried. As part of the home loan benefit, widows are also eligible to use a VA interest rate reduction refinancing loan for a mortgage obtained before the death of the service member.

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  • Photo Credit arlington cemetary image by John Keith from Fotolia.com

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