Order
When life feels overwhelming
Order
When life feels overwhelming
A plain-language guide to the SBP — who is eligible, how to claim after a retired service member's death, how payments work, and what the 2023 elimination of the DIC offset means for your family.
Start your family's plan, free to begin
Keep military records, key documents, deadlines, and who handles what in one shared plan your family can see.
Start your family's planThe Survivor Benefit Plan is a Department of Defense insurance-style annuity program that pays a continuing monthly income to the eligible survivors of retired military service members. It is designed to replace a portion of the retiree's military pay after their death.
SBP pays up to 55% of the retiree's covered retirement pay base as a monthly annuity. The exact amount depends on the coverage level the service member elected at retirement — they could choose full coverage (55%), a reduced base amount, or intermediate levels.
The service member must have elected SBP coverage at or before retirement. This election is generally irrevocable — a retiree who did not elect SBP coverage at retirement cannot typically add it later (with limited exceptions). The first step for surviving families is always to confirm whether SBP coverage was elected.
Who SBP covers
SBP isn't only for military retirees. A monthly annuity may be payable to the loved one's surviving spouse (or former spouse, if they were covered) and, in some cases, their children if:• They were retired and had SBP coverage when they died. Coverage for a spouse and children is automatic at retirement unless another valid election was made, and a member can't reduce or decline spouse coverage without the spouse's written consent.• They died on active duty in the line of duty. Survivors of service members who die on active duty may be eligible under SBP at no cost to the family. A casualty assistance officer from the service branch helps with this claim.• They were a Reserve member who died in the line of duty during inactive-duty training, or they were a Reserve member who had already elected Reserve Component SBP coverage.How much: For a spouse, the annuity generally equals 55% of the loved one's "base amount." For a retiree, that is the amount they elected, up to their full retired pay.When it starts: The annuity is effective on the first day after the loved one's death, even if the claim is filed later.Children: An unmarried child may be eligible until 18, or until 22 if a full-time student. An unmarried child who can't support themselves because of a disability that began before 18 (or before 22 while a full-time student) may stay eligible for as long as that remains true.SBP and DIC: Through 2020, VA's Dependency and Indemnity Compensation reduced SBP dollar for dollar. Congress phased that reduction out in 2021 and 2022. Since January 1, 2023, surviving spouses receive the full SBP annuity and full DIC.How to claim: Contact DFAS at 800-321-1080 or through AskDFAS.
A surviving spouse is the primary eligible beneficiary for SBP. They are eligible if the service member elected spouse coverage at retirement and the couple was married at the time of the retiree's death. There is no minimum duration of marriage requirement for SBP, unlike some other survivor benefit programs.
If the service member was divorced, a former spouse may be named as the SBP beneficiary — either voluntarily by the retiree or pursuant to a divorce decree or court order. Former spouse SBP coverage must be specifically elected or ordered; it is not automatic.
The service member could elect child-only or spouse-and-child coverage. When child coverage is in effect, benefits are paid to eligible dependent children (unmarried, under 18, or under 22 if a full-time student) when there is no surviving spouse or when the surviving spouse remarries before age 55.
Unmarried retirees with no eligible dependents could elect SBP for a person with an insurable interest — such as a parent, sibling, or business partner. This coverage type is less common and comes with different terms.
Order tracks the SBP claim alongside DIC, burial benefits, and state programs in one shared checklist so nothing falls through the cracks.
Make sure nothing is missedSBP claims are processed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), not the VA. DFAS is a separate agency from the VA and handles military retirement pay and survivor annuities.
Also filing for DIC or burial benefits? See documents needed across all 10 military programs.
Full documents checklistThere is no strict filing deadline for SBP itself, but DFAS strongly recommends contacting them as soon as possible after the service member's death. The annuity is effective the first day after the date of death, so a late claim can include back payments to that date.
Once approved, DFAS pays the SBP annuity monthly via direct deposit. Key details:
How SBP benefits reach your family — step by step
Retired veteran dies
SBP coverage was elected at retirement.
Surviving spouse contacts DFAS
File DD Form 2656-7 with death certificate and marriage certificate.
SBP annuity begins
Up to 55% of covered retired pay — taxable, paid monthly via direct deposit.
Also eligible for DIC?
File VA Form 21P-534EZ with the VA separately.
Both in full (post-2023)
Since Jan 1, 2023: full SBP + full DIC simultaneously. No offset.
SBP is administered by DFAS (800-321-1080). DIC is administered by the VA. They are separate agencies — filing one does not trigger the other.
For decades, military surviving spouses who qualified for both SBP and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the VA faced a rule that reduced their SBP benefit dollar-for-dollar by the amount of DIC received. This was widely known as the "Widow's Tax" and affected tens of thousands of military widows.
Effective January 1, 2023, the offset was fully eliminated. Surviving spouses who qualify for both SBP and DIC now receive the full amount of both benefits simultaneously, with no reduction to either.
If you were receiving SBP with a reduction because you also receive DIC, contact DFAS to confirm your payments were adjusted. Some families who historically declined DIC to preserve their full SBP should reconsider — both are now fully available together.
If you were previously affected by the offset
Families who received reduced SBP because of DIC between 2018 and 2023 received the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) as a partial offset. Since January 2023, both SBP and DIC are payable in full. Contact DFAS at 800-321-1080 if you believe your payments haven't been properly adjusted.
The Survivor Benefit Plan is a Department of Defense annuity program that provides a continuing monthly income to eligible survivors of retired military service members. It pays up to 55% of the retiree's covered retired pay base. The service member must have elected SBP coverage at or before retirement — this election is generally irrevocable.
SBP isn't only for military retirees. A monthly annuity may be payable to the loved one's surviving spouse (or former spouse, if they were covered) and, in some cases, their children if they were retired and had SBP coverage, died on active duty in the line of duty, or were a Reserve member who died in the line of duty during inactive-duty training.
Contact DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) within one year of the service member's death. The DFAS toll-free number is 800-321-1080. You'll need to submit a certified death certificate, DD Form 2656-7 (Verification for Survivor Annuity), marriage certificate, and proof of address. Once the claim is processed, DFAS pays the annuity starting from the first day after the date of death.
Yes, as of January 1, 2023, in full. The previous SBP-DIC offset (sometimes called the 'Widow's Tax') reduced SBP payments dollar-for-dollar by the DIC amount. That offset was fully eliminated. Qualifying surviving spouses now receive the complete amount of both SBP and DIC simultaneously, with no reduction.
If you remarry before age 55, SBP payments stop from the date of the remarriage. If that remarriage ends (through death, divorce, or annulment), payments resume. If you remarry at age 55 or older, SBP continues uninterrupted.
Start your family's plan, free to begin
Keep military records, key documents, deadlines, and who handles what in one shared plan your family can see.
Start your family's plan