What Is the Government Help for a Veteran's Spouse?
Men and women who choose to serve their country in the military are not always rewarded with the biggest paychecks. However, the government does offer veterans, and their families, a number of assistance programs, both while the soldier is on active duty and after he leaves active duty. These include a number of programs that help a veteran's spouse.
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TRICARE
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One major benefit of military service is enrollment in the military health care coverage program TRICARE. TRICARE offers a number of different coverage programs that soldiers and their spouses can choose from. The plan includes the ability to get free health care at military treatment facilities. While the benefit packages differ when the soldier retires, spouses and other immediate family members still have a access to a number of TRICARE plans at very low annual costs.
Bereavement Counseling and Other Help
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Veterans receive generous benefits from the government for their military service because they take the risk that they can die serving their country. In this tragic case, the government offers a number of services for spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These include bereavement counseling for the spouse and other family members, a military funeral, and assistance with future financial security by allowing the surviving spouse to access VA home loans with guaranteed interest rates.
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Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
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The spouses of veterans who die during active duty, or who were receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability when they passed away, are entitled to monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payments. The spouse can qualify for additional compensation from additional factors, including dependent children. As of 2010, spouses could continue to receive this benefit if they remarried after December 16, 2003 and were at least 57 years old when they did remarry.
Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program
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The spouses and children of soldiers who were either killed while serving their country or were completely disabled from a service-connected injury are eligible for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program, the DEA. This program provides financial support for up to 45 months of educational training for the service member's dependents. Spouses and dependents can apply this financial support towards certificate programs, as well as apprenticeships or on-the-job training. A spouse has 10 years from the time the VA confirms her eligibility to use the benefits before they expire.
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References
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Services
- TRICARE: TRICARE Benefit At-a-Glance
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: VA Home Loan Guaranty Benefits for Surviving Spouses
- Military Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
Resources
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