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Past rates: 2018 VA DIC rates for parents

View 2018 VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rates for the surviving parents of Veterans. These VA survivor benefits are tax exempt. This means you won’t have to pay any taxes on your DIC payments. These rates are effective December 1, 2017.

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DIC rates if only 1 parent is alive

These rates apply to you if you’re eligible for VA DIC as a surviving parent and both of the below descriptions are true for you.

Both of these must be true:

  • You’re the Veteran’s only surviving parent, and
  • Either you’re not remarried or you’re remarried and living with your spouse

Note: Your yearly income is how much money you earn during one calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This includes income from all sources, such as wages, salary, investment payments, rental properties, gifts, income of dependents living in your home, and some retirement payments. If you’re remarried and living with your spouse, this also includes your spouse’s income.

Select the income range that applies to you

Click on an accordion to view the rate table. Use the amount in the first column that’s closest to your income when rounded up to find your beginning monthly rate. Then, follow the directions in the how to use the rate tables section to figure out your monthly payment.

$1,900 or less

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$800 $634 None 900 626 .08 1,000 618 .08 1,100 610 .08 1,200 602 .08 1,300 594 .08 1,400 586 .08 1,500 578 .08 1,600 570 .08 1,700 562 .08 1,800 554 .08 1,900 546 .08

$2,000 to $2,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$2,000 $538 .08 2,100 530 .08 2,200 522 .08 2,300 514 .08 2,400 506 .08 2,500 498 .08 2,600 490 .08 2,700 482 .08 2,800 474 .08 2,900 466 .08

$3,000 to $3,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$3,000 $458 .08 3,100 450 .08 3,200 442 .08 3,300 434 .08 3,400 426 .08 3,500 418 .08 3,600 410 .08 3,700 402 .08 3,800 394 .08 3,900 386 .08

$4,000 to $4,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$4,000 $378 .08 4,100 370 .08 4,200 362 .08 4,300 354 .08 4,400 346 .08 4,500 338 .08 4,600 330 .08 4,700 322 .08 4,800 314 .08 4,900 306 .08

$5,000 to $5,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$5,000 $298 .08 5,100 290 .08 5,200 282 .08 5,300 274 .08 5,400 266 .08 5,500 258 .08 5,600 250 .08 5,700 242 .08 5,800 234 .08 5,900 226 .08

$6,000 to $6,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$6,000 $218 .08 6,100 210 .08 6,200 202 .08 6,300 194 .08 6,400 186 .08 6,500 178 .08 6,600 170 .08 6,700 162 .08 6,800 154 .08 6,900 146 .08

$7,000 to $7,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$7,000 $138 .08 7,100 130 .08 7,200 122 .08 7,300 114 .08 7,400 106 .08 7,500 98 .08 7,600 90 .08 7,700 82 .08 7,800 74 .08 7,900 66 .08

$8,000 or more

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$8,000 $58 .08 8,100 50 .08 8,200 42 .08 8,300 34 .08 8,400 26 .08 8,500 18 .08 8,600 10 .08 8,662 5.04 .08 If living with spouse: 8,663 to 20,128
If not living with spouse: 8,663 to 14,974
5 None

DIC rates if both parents are alive

If the eligible parent doesn’t live with a spouse

These rates apply to you if you’re eligible for VA DIC as a surviving parent and both of the below descriptions are true for you.

Both of these must be true:

  • You and the Veteran’s other surviving parent are both alive, and
  • You’re not living with the Veteran’s other surviving parent or a current spouse

Note: Your yearly income is how much money you earn during one calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This includes income from all sources, such as wages, salary, investment payments, rental properties, gifts, income of dependents living in your home, and some retirement payments. If you’re remarried and living with your spouse, this also includes your spouse’s income.

Select the income range that applies to you

Click on an accordion to view the rate table. Use the amount in the first column that’s closest to your yearly income when rounded up to find your beginning monthly rate. Then, follow the directions in the how to use the rate tables section to figure out your monthly payment.

$1,900 or less

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$800 $459 None 900 451 .08 1,000 443 .08 1,100 435 .08 1,200 427 .08 1,300 419 .08 1,400 411 .08 1,500 403 .08 1,600 395 .08 1,700 387 .08 1,800 379 .08 1,900 371 .08

$2,000 to $2,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$2,000 $363 .08 2,100 355 .08 2,200 347 .08 2,300 339 .08 2,400 331 .08 2,500 323 .08 2,600 315 .08 2,700 307 .08 2,800 299 .08 2,900 291 .08

$3,000 to $3,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$3,000 $283 .08 3,100 275 .08 3,200 267 .08 3,300 259 .08 3,400 251 .08 3,500 243 .08 3,600 235 .08 3,700 227 .08 3,800 219 .08 3,900 211 .08

$4,000 to $4,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$4,000 $203 .08 4,100 195 .08 4,200 187 .08 4,300 179 .08 4,400 171 .08 4,500 163 .08 4,600 155 .08 4,700 147 .08 4,800 139 .08 4,900 131 .08

$5,000 to $5,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$5,000 $123 .08 5,100 115 .08 5,200 107 .08 5,300 99 .08 5,400 91 .08 5,500 83 .08 5,600 75 .08 5,700 67 .08 5,800 59 .08 5,900 51 .08

$6,000 or more

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$6,000 $43 .08 6,100 35 .08 6,200 27 .08 6,300 19 .08 6,400 11 .08 6,475 to 14,974 5 None

 

If the eligible parent lives with the Veteran’s other parent or a current spouse

These rates apply to you if you’re eligible for VA DIC as a surviving parent and both of the below descriptions are true for you.

Both of these must be true:

  • You and the Veteran’s other surviving parent are both alive, and
  • You’re living with the Veteran’s other surviving parent or a current spouse

Note: Your yearly income is how much money you earn during one calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This includes income from all sources, such as wages, salary, investment payments, rental properties, gifts, income of dependents living in your home, and some retirement payments. If you’re remarried and living with your spouse, this also includes your spouse’s income.

Select the income range that applies to you

Click on an accordion to view the rate table. Use the amount in the first column that’s closest to your income when rounded up to find your beginning monthly rate. Then, follow the directions in the how to use the rate tables section to figure out your monthly payment.

$1,900 or less

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$1,000 $431 None 1,100 420 .03 1,200 417 .03 1,300 414 .03 1,400 411 .03 1,500 408 .03 1,600 404 .04 1,700 400 .04 1,800 396 .04 1,900 392 .04

$2,000 to $2,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$2,000 $387 .05 2,100 382 .05 2,200 377 .05 2,300 372 .05 2,400 367 .05 2,500 361 .06 2,600 355 .06 2,700 349 .06 2,800 343 .06 2,900 337 .06

$3,000 to $3,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$3,000 $330 .07 3,100 323 .07 3,200 316 .07 3,300 308 .08 3,400 300 .08 3,500 292 .08 3,600 284 .08 3,700 276 .08 3,800 268 .08 3,900 259 .08

$4,000 to $4,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$4,000 $252 .08 4,100 244 .08 4,200 236 .08 4,300 228 .08 4,400 220 .08 4,500 212 .08 4,600 204 .08 4,700 196 .08 4,800 188 .08 4,900 180 .08

$5,000 to $5,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$5,000 $172 .08 5,100 164 .08 5,200 156 .08 5,300 148 .08 5,400 140 .08 5,500 132 .08 5,600 124 .08 5,700 116 .08 5,800 108 .08 5,900 100 .08

$6,000 to $6,900

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$6,000 $92 .08 6,100 84 .08 6,200 76 .08 6,300 68 .08 6,400 60 .08 6,500 52 .08 6,600 44 .08 6,700 36 .08 6,800 28 .08 6,900 20 .08

$7,000 or more

Yearly income limit (in U.S. $)
Your total income for the year must be less than or equal to this amount
Beginning monthly rate (in U.S. $) Rate of decrease
(also called a $1 decrement)
$7,000 $20 .08 7,100 12 .08 7,187 5.04 .04 7,188 to 20,128 5 None

How to use the rate tables to calculate your DIC payments

  1. Find your beginning monthly rate in the table above that applies to you.
    To do this, find the yearly income limit amount in the first column that’s closest to your income when rounded up. The amount listed to the right, in the middle column, is your beginning monthly rate. 

    For example: Let's say you are the eligible parent, living with the Veteran's other parent or a current spouse. For this example, click on the $7,000 or more income range directly above. If you earn $7,053 a year, you make more than $7,000, and less than $7,100. So you would use the $7,100 income limit. Your beginning monthly rate would be $12.

  2. Calculate the difference between your actual income and the income limit that's closest to your income when rounded down. 
    To do this, find the income limit in the first column that's closest to your income when rounded down. Subtract this income limit from your actual income.

    Using our example: $7,053 (actual income) - $7,000 (income limit closest to your income when rounded down) = $53

  3. Multiply this amount by the rate of decrease.
    The rate of decrease is the decimal listed in the last column. It helps us adjust your rate to match your actual income level.

    Using our example: $53 X .08 (rate of decrease) = $4.24

  4. Add this amount to your beginning monthly rate.
    The total is your monthly payment.

    Using our example: $4.24 + $12 (beginning monthly rate) = $16.24 (monthly payment)

  5. If you're eligible for Aid and Attendance, add $343.
    The total is your monthly payment with Aid and Attendance.

    Using our example: $16.24 (monthly payment) + $343 (Aid and Attendance) = $359.24 (monthly payment with Aid and Attendance)

  6. Next, determine your payment schedule
    How often you get a payment depends on your total amount for the year.

    Multiply your monthly payment amount by 12 months. Then use the payment schedule below, based on the total amount for the year.

    If your payments for the year add up to:

    • More than $228, we'll pay you monthly.
    • Between $144 and $228, we'll pay you 4 times a year, or 1 payment every 3 months.
    • Between $72 and $144, we'll pay you 2 times a year, or 1 payment every 6 months.
    • Less than $72, we'll pay you once a year.

    Using our example: 12 X $359.24 (monthly payment amount with Aid and Attendance) = $4,310.88 (total year's value).

    Because your total year's worth of payment is more than $228, you'd be paid on a monthly schedule.