U.Due south. military machine veterans who are already canonical for or already receiving disability benefits from the U.South. Department of Veterans Diplomacy may also be eligible for additional benefits for their qualifying dependents. If you're a disabled veteran and you think this might use to your situation, keep reading – we'll outline everything you need to know to decide whether applying for this additional do good might be correct for you.

5 Conditions for Adding a Dependent to Your VA Disability Benefits

There are several scenarios that allow y'all to add together a dependent every bit a beneficiary to your VA inability benefit business relationship, like the few we've listed below.

  1. Yous get married
  2. Y'all have or adopt a kid
  3. Your child is a full-time pupil between the ages of 18 and 23
  4. Your kid becomes permanently disabled before age 18
  5. You go responsible for a dependent parent whose income falls beneath a sure threshold

For VA disability benefit purposes, a spouse, a child, or a parent in some circumstances can exist considered a dependent. If you lot are qualified for VA disability pay with at to the lowest degree a 30% VA disability rating, information technology is possible to add dependents to your VA benefits at basically any time. The VA recognizes that your circumstances may change over time, so it allows you to qualify for a higher benefit level if you take on boosted fiscal responsibleness for others.

Allow'south accept a closer look at each of the eligibility circumstances that might atomic number 82 to your adding a dependent to your VA disability compensation.

1. You Get Married

Gaining a spouse is a perfect fourth dimension to add a dependent to your VA disability benefits. While the VA too recognizes common law marriages, the marriage ceremony represents a life-changing consequence that immediately changes your financial state of affairs. It's also important to annotation that the VA recognizes same-sex activity marriage.

ii. You Have a Baby or Adopt a Child

For any eligible child living in your household that you lot take financial responsibility for, you can receive dependent benefits – as long as that child is under 18 years erstwhile. This includes any biological children you may have, forth with whatever children yous prefer.

3. Your Kid is a Total-Time Educatee Between the Ages of xviii and 23

Once any unmarried children in your household plough 18, y'all can go on to receive boosted VA disability compensation for them if they are enrolled equally a full-time educatee in an institution of higher pedagogy. These VA benefits can proceed until the single child turns 23.

4. Your Kid Becomes Permanently Disabled Earlier Historic period 18

No thing the child'south age, yous also can continue to collect VA disability bounty if the eligible child became permanently disabled before turning eighteen. You volition demand to submit appropriate medical documentation to that effect in order to be approved.

v. You Get Responsible For a Dependent Parent Whose Income Falls Below a Certain Threshold

Many children reach a point where they take on financial responsibility for aging parents. If this is the case for yous, and if your parent's combined income and net worth are below a certain level, you may be able to add your parent to your VA disability benefits as a dependent. To qualify, you must exist responsible for the direct care of your dependent parents.

How Do I Add a Dependent?

Of class, the best and easiest time to add together a dependent to your VA disability benefits is when you lot're first completing your benefit application. At that time, you tin can submit a VA claim for added compensation for a dependent simultaneously with your original VA disability benefit merits. As long every bit your disability rating is at least 30%, the VA automatically volition consider your concurrent claim for dependent VA benefits.

But if you didn't add any eligible dependents to your do good claim when you originally submitted, information technology's non too late. Y'all can hands add a dependent to your VA inability claim through the VA'southward eBenefits website. It's fast and easy, and it's the mode the VA encourages veterans to adapt their claims applications. Some veterans could receive a decision in every bit little as 48 hours, thanks to the VA's automated organization.

If you don't already have an eBenefits account, you'll need to create one. Then only log into eBenefits and cull "Add or Remove Dependent" under the Apply section. Delight note that at this time, the VA will non allow you to add parents or spouses through common law marriages through the eBenefits organization.

Depending on the circumstances leading to your adding dependents, you'll need to also submit the appropriate forms and backup documentation. For example, if yous're adding a disabled child as a dependent, you'll need to submit all advisable medical documentation to support this dependency claim. If you're adding a dependent student historic period xviii-23, you'll need to submit a Request for Approval of School Attendance (VA Course 21-674) forth with your do good application. If you're adding dependent parents to your VA inability benefits, you will also need to include a Argument of Dependency of Parent(south) (VA Form 21P-509).

Frequently Asked Questions

To help you with the process, nosotros've outlined a few of the about commonly asked questions virtually adding dependents to your VA disability benefits.

How Do I Know if I'thousand Eligible to Add a Dependent to My Claim?

If you are canonical for VA disability compensation with at least a thirty% disability rating, you volition be able to add eligible dependents to your benefit merits, which means that you as well are eligible for a higher disability payment.

What if I Need Help with My Claim?

If you need assistance, you're certainly non alone. Many veterans find the VA disability claims process complex and overwhelming. To assistance y'all navigate the process, y'all have a couple of different options. Outset, you can piece of work with a Veterans Service Officeholder, who is trained and certified in the VA benefit claims process. Or, you tin can work with a trusted and qualified veterans inability attorney. A lawyer can evaluate the strength of your dependency claim and help guide your application through the total process, including appeals if that becomes necessary.

What If I've Already Submitted My Claim, Merely Don't Yet Have An Answer?

Even if you've already submitted your VA claim, you can nonetheless add dependents through the eBenefits system. As long as your disability is rated at least 30%, your dependent awarding will automatically be considered.

Will I Be Paid Back to the Date When My Spouse and I Married?

Mayhap – that all depends on how quickly after your marriage that you file your claim. If, before your marriage, you were already rated at least 30% for your disability rating, and y'all file to add your spouse within one year of your marriage, your chances are good to be paid back to the appointment of your matrimony. You must be available to respond to any questions the VA sends your mode while your claim is being reviewed.

How Practise I Know Whether I'g Already Receiving Dependent Benefits?

You tin can easily check on the details of your VA inability benefits through the eBenefits system. Only log into your eBenefits account and bank check Dependents under the My Contour department. If you see your dependents listed, that means you should already exist receiving armed services dependent benefits on their behalf. If they are not listed, y'all can get alee and file a claim to begin receiving VA benefits for them.

When Will I Start Receiving Payment If My Merits for Dependent Disability Compensation Is Approved?

According to the VA, you can wait to begin receiving payments within two weeks of a decision being reached about your claim.

What If My Spouse is Likewise a Veteran With a 30% or Higher Disability Rating?

If this is the case, then you and your spouse can both claim each other equally a dependent, and y'all can both claim your children as dependents. Just know that this kind of claim takes a bit longer for the VA to process, so you should submit your claim online if at all possible for a quicker determination.

Can I File a Claim for Dependent Benefits By Post?

Aye, absolutely. While the VA strongly encourages veterans to apply online, only considering of ease of utilize and the streamlined response time, you lot can submit paper forms to add dependents to your VA inability benefits.

To add a kid or spouse, you tin mail in VA Form 21-686c, Declaration of Status of Dependents. To add a full-time student dependent, age 18-23, yous should submit VA Form 21-674: Asking for Approval of School Attendance in addition to VA Course 21-686c, Proclamation of Status of Dependents. To add dependent parents, the VA requires you to submit VA Grade 21P-509, Argument of Dependency of Parent(s). All forms can be mailed to the VA's claims processing heart for review.

What If I Demand to Remove a Dependent?

There are many life events that may also atomic number 82 to needing to remove a dependent from your VA inability benefits. You can also remove dependents chop-chop and easily through your eBenefits account. If y'all get divorced and need to remove a spouse, it's best to submit that as early in the process as possible. If the VA determines that yous have been receiving payments for a spouse that is no longer considered a dependent, yous will take to return those funds. If you don't accept an eBenefits corporeality or the means to set one, you can too telephone call the VA straight to get help with removing your dependent.

It may take the VA a fleck longer to remove a child from your account than a spouse, but submitting your information online is the fastest way to remove a dependent. Delight notation that y'all exercise not have to manually remove a dependent kid once he turns 18 – the VA automatically tracks the ages of your child dependents based on the birth date in your paperwork.

Unless y'all apply to go along a dependent child on your business relationship considering she's a full-fourth dimension educatee, the VA will automatically remove that dependent at age 18. If you need to extend your child'southward VA benefits while he is a total-time student, you lot can do so through eBenefits – only select Update Dependents after choosing Add or Remove Dependents inside the Utilize section.

Calculation a Dependent

Adding dependents to your VA disability compensation tin help make managing the financial aspects of caring for a dependent much easier. If you believe you qualify for dependent benefits, make certain to visit with a VSO or a qualified veterans inability attorney. Either one can assistance walk through the merits of your claim and guide you through what frequently is a complex and laborious procedure.