U.S. Code » Title 38 » Part PART II— GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 13— DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DEATHS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION

38 U.S.C. § 1310

Deaths entitling survivors to dependency and indemnity compensation

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(a) When any veteran dies after December 31, 1956, from a service-connected or compensable disability, the Secretary shall pay dependency and indemnity compensation to such veteran’s surviving spouse, children, and parents. The standards and criteria for determining whether or not a disability is service-connected shall be those applicable under chapter 11 of this title.(b) Dependency and indemnity compensation shall not be paid to the surviving spouse, children, or parents of any veteran dying after December 31, 1956, unless such veteran (1) was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from the period of active military, naval, air, or space service in which the disability causing such veteran’s death was incurred or aggravated, or (2) died while in the active military, naval, air, or space service.(c) A person who receives a payment under the provisions of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 2210 note) shall not be deprived, by reason of the receipt of that payment, of receipt of dependency and indemnity compensation to which that person is otherwise entitled, but there shall be deducted from payment of such dependency and indemnity compensation the amount of the payment under that Act.(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1127, § 410; Pub. L. 94–433, title IV, § 405(7), Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1379; Pub. L. 95–479, title II, § 204, Oct. 18, 1978, 92 Stat. 1564; Pub. L. 97–306, title I, § 112(a), Oct. 14, 1982, 96 Stat. 1432; Pub. L. 100–687, div. B, title XIV, § 1403(b), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4131; renumbered § 1310 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 404–406; Pub. L. 108–454, title III, § 302(b), Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3610; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(18), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830.)Editorial NotesReferences in Text

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 101–426, Oct. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 920, which is set out as a note under section 2210 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “air, or space service” for “or air service” in two places.

2004—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–454 added subsec. (c).

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 410 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.

1988—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 100–687 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows:

“(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, when any veteran dies, not as the result of the veteran’s own willful misconduct, if the veteran was in receipt of or entitled to receive (or but for the receipt of retired or retirement pay was entitled to receive) compensation at the time of death for a service-connected disability that either (A) was continuously rated totally disabling for a period of ten or more years immediately preceding death, or (B) if so rated for a lesser period, was so rated continuously for a period of not less than five years from the date of such veteran’s discharge or other release from active duty, the Administrator shall pay benefits under this chapter to the veteran’s surviving spouse, if such surviving spouse was married to such veteran for not less than two years immediately preceding such veteran’s death, and to such veteran’s children, in the same manner as if the veteran’s death were service connected.

“(2) If a surviving spouse or a child receives any money or property of value pursuant to an award in a judicial proceeding based upon, or a settlement or compromise of, any cause of action for damages for the death of a veteran described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, benefits under this chapter payable to such surviving spouse or child by virtue of this subsection shall not be paid for any month following a month in which any such money or property is received until such time as the total amount of such benefits that would otherwise have been payable equals the total of the amount of the money received and the fair market value of the property received.

“(3) For purposes of sections 1448(d) and 1450(c) of title 10, eligibility for benefits under this chapter by virtue of this subsection shall be deemed eligibility for dependency and indemnity compensation under section 411(a) of this title.”

1982—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 97–306 inserted “or entitled to receive” after “was in receipt of”.

1978—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 95–479 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).

1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–433 substituted “such veteran’s surviving spouse” for “his widow”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–433 substituted “surviving spouse”, “such veteran”, and “such veteran’s” for “widow”, “he”, and “his”, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date of 2004 Amendment

Subsec. (c) of this section effective with respect to dependency and indemnity compensation payments for months beginning after Mar. 26, 2002, see section 302(c) of Pub. L. 108–454, set out as a note under section 1112 of this title.

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment; Retrospective Payments

Pub. L. 97–306, title I, § 112(b), Oct. 14, 1982, 96 Stat. 1432, provided that:“(1) The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1982.“(2)(A) As soon as practicable after September 30, 1982, the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs shall pay an amount determined under subparagraph (B) to each person who would have been entitled to a payment under chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code, for any part of the period beginning on October 1, 1978, and ending on September 30, 1982, if the amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] had taken effect on October 1, 1978.“(B) The amount of any payment to a person under subparagraph (A) is the amount equal to the total of all payments under chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code, that would have been made to that person for the period described in such subparagraph if the amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] had taken effect on October 1, 1978.”

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–479 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 401(a) of Pub. L. 95–479, set out as a note under section 1114 of this title.

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 94–433 effective Oct. 1, 1976, see section 406 of Pub. L. 94–433, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

GAO Report Relating to Benefits for Survivors of Veterans and Members of Armed Forces

Pub. L. 102–568, title I, § 104, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4322, required the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress a report, with specified contents and due not later than Apr. 1, 1994, with respect to the most appropriate combination of financial, health-care, educational, and other survivor benefits to meet the needs of survivors of veterans.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Program

Pub. L. 94–433, title II, § 204, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1376, directed Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs to study dependency and indemnity compensation program authorized by this chapter in order to evaluate benefits provided by program and to determine whether, or to what extent, benefits should be based on military pay grade of person upon whose death entitlement is predicated, and directed Administrator to submit to Congress and President not later than Oct. 1, 1977, a report containing results of study together with Administrator’s recommendations for improvement of program.

Study by Administrator of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Claims

Pub. L. 94–71, § 204, Aug. 5, 1975, 89 Stat. 397, directed Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs to make a study of claims for dependency and indemnity compensation relating to veterans who at time of death during period Sept. 1, 1975 to Mar. 1, 1976, were receiving disability compensation based upon a total and permanent disability and required report to be submitted to Speaker of House and President of Senate no later than Oct. 1, 1976.

Pub. L. 93–295, title II, § 207, May 31, 1974, 88 Stat. 183, directed Administrator to make a study of claims for dependency and indemnity compensation relating to veterans who, at time of death within six months of May 31, 1974, were receiving disability compensation, and to report to Speaker of House and President of Senate no more than 30 days after beginning of 94th Congress.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 212 cases (19 in the last 5 years), 1992–2025 · leading case: Sandra K. Hupp v. R. James Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 342 (Vet. App. 2007).
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Sandra K. Hupp v. R. James Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 342 (Vet. App. 2007). · cites it 6× “§ 5121 and service connection for the cause of her veteran-husband's death for the purpose of 38 U.S.C. § 1310 dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits.”
Timberlake v. Gober, 14 Vet. App. 122 (Vet. App. 2000). · cites it 4× “STEINBERG, Judge: The appellant, widow of veteran Norman Timberlake, appeals through counsel an October 15, 1996, Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA or Board) decision that denied Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits pursuant to…”
Frances D'Aries v. James B. Peake, 22 Vet. App. 97 (Vet. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “PER CURIAM: Before the Court is Frances D'Aries's appeal of a May 18, 2005, Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) decision that denied service connection for the cause of her husband's death under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 . Because the VA medical examination sought under the authority of…”
Gabrielson v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 36 (Vet. App. 1994). · cites it 3× “Under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 , the surviving spouse of a veteran whose service-connected disabilities were the principal or contributory cause of his death, and whose death occurred after December 31, 1956, may be eligible for DIC.”
Kane v. Principi, 17 Vet. App. 97 (Vet. App. 2003). · cites it 12× “§ 1103 is inconsistent with 38 U.S.C. § 1310 (a) because section 1310(a) mandates that the Secretary "shall" pay DIC to the veteran's spouse when the veteran dies of a service-connected disability.”
Martha M. Myore, Claimant-Appellant v. Anthony J. Principi, Sec'y of Vets. Affairs, 323 F.3d 1347 (Fed. Cir. 2003). · cites it 5× “In July 1990, Myore filed a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the DVA”) for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 . Myore I, 9 Vet.App. at 501-02 .”
Hilkert v. West, 12 Vet. App. 145 (Vet. App. 1999). · cites it 3× “38 U.S.C. § 1310 . For such a death to be considered service connected, it must result from a disability incurred in the line of duty.”
Wood v. Peake, 520 F.3d 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2008). · cites it 4× “The appellant is the widow of a deceased veteran who seeks to recover dependency and indemnity compensation ("DIC") under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 , which allows recovery when a "veteran dies .”
Davidson v. SHINSEKI, 581 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2009). “See 38 U.S.C. § 1310 (a) (“When any veteran dies after December 31, 1956, from a service-connected or com-pensable disability, the Secretary shall pay dependency and indemnity compensation to such veteran’s surviving spouse, children, and parents.”
Mayfield v. Nicholson, 444 F.3d 1328 (Fed. Cir. 2006). “See 38 U.S.C. § 1310 (a). Mrs. Mayfield alleged that the required causation was established because Mr.”
Sneed v. McDonald, 819 F.3d 1347 (Fed. Cir. 2016). · cites it 2× “Sneed filed a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 . Mr. Sneed’s service-connected disabili- ties were alleged to have been principal or contributory causes of his death, see 38 C.”
Rezi P. Forshey, Claimant-Appellant v. Anthony J. Principi, Sec'y of Vets. Affairs, 284 F.3d 1335 (Fed. Cir. 2002). “See 38 U.S.C. § 1310 (2000). 1 For the death to be service-connected, the death must be caused by an injury that occurred in the line of duty.”
Show all 212 citing cases →
— 38 U.S.C. § 1310(a) — 2 cases
Viola M. Stoll, Claimant-Appellant v. R. James Nicholson, Sec'y of Vets. Affairs, 401 F.3d 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2005).
Stoll v. Nicholson (Fed. Cir. 2005).
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