Caring for Survivors Act of 2025

This bill raises and expands VA survivor benefits. It increases the monthly payment for surviving spouses to 55% of a standard VA disability rate, with payments starting six months after it becomes law. It also makes sure survivors of veterans who died before 1993 get whichever amount is higher under the old rules or the new rate. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly VA payment to eligible survivors—such as spouses, children, or parents—of certain deceased service members or veterans.

The bill lowers how long a veteran must have been rated totally disabled before death for survivors to qualify—from 10 years to 5 years. If the veteran was rated totally disabled for less than 10 years, the survivor would receive a partial amount based on how many years the veteran held that rating. A non-technical summary from the Library of Congress matches these changes and explains who can receive DIC.

• Who is affected: Surviving spouses, and other eligible survivors (spouses, children, or parents) of certain deceased service members or veterans.
• What changes: Higher monthly payments for surviving spouses; easier eligibility by reducing the required total-disability period from 10 to 5 years; pro-rated payments if the disability period was under 10 years; protection so survivors of veterans who died before 1993 receive the higher of the old or new amount.
• When: New payment amounts and rules begin six months after the bill becomes law.