Veteran Spouse Prevails on DIC Claim After 40 Years

The surviving spouse of a veteran who passed away in 1979 had been pursuing a claim for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for years, attempting to convince the Veterans Administration that her husband’s death was caused by exposure to Agent Orange. 

A Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) veteran service officer (VSO) in Massachusetts took up the case last year. The VSO worked with the spouse to comb through hundreds of pages of information submitted over the course of more than 40 years. 

The VSO and the surviving spouse submitted a Supplemental Claim last year using information found on microfiche. The Supplemental Claim was successful, and the VA granted service connection for the veteran’s cause of death dating back to 1979. 

The surviving spouse received more than $500,000 in retroactive pay and is getting DIC payments monthly. Now 86, she was able to use the money to relocate to an assisted living facility she enjoys in Florida, and she and a friend are planning a once-in-a-lifetime, first-class vacation to Hawaii. 

Contact a VVA Veteran Service Officer to assist with your claim in states that have a benefits program here, or search for a VSO from another organization through the VA’s website in states where we do not. Enter your ZIP code or city and state, and you’ll see which VSOs serve your area.