>>Text: Applying for Survivor Benefits through the Fully Developed Claims Process.>>Graphics: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Seal and Logo.>>Narrator: Overview of VA Form 21-534EZ, Application.for DIC, Survivors Pension and/or Accrued.Benefits, Part One.This is Part One of a two-part video series..This part will provide a general overview.and cover topics related to pages 1-5 of VA.Form 21-534EZ..While there are over 21.8 million living Veterans.today that have served our country,.VA has not forgotten the sacrifices made by.our nation’s fallen soldiers and their families..President Lincoln's second inaugural address.so eloquently stated VA’s obligation:.“…to care for him who shall have borne.the battle and for his widow and his orphan.”.Through VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Survivors Pension, and Accrued benefits,.VA provides support to eligible survivors.of military Servicemembers and Veterans..VA now offers a way for survivors to obtain.these benefits faster through the Fully Developed.Claims, or FDC, Program..This Program uses new and simplified application.forms that tell survivors exactly what records.and documentation are required to support.their claim..In this video, we will quickly walk through:.DIC and Survivors Pension benefits, and.VA Form 21-534EZ Application for DIC, Death.Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits,.which allows eligible survivors to file an.FDC for DIC, Survivors Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits..We will also:.Review what survivors need to know to accurately.file an FDC, and.Provide important reminders and tips to ensure.documentation is complete and ready for claims.submission and review..DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to.eligible survivors of military Servicemembers.who died in the line of duty,.or eligible survivors of Veterans whose death.resulted from a service-related injury or disease,.or who were rated totally disabled from their.service-connected disabilities for a certain.period of time..Survivors may include a spouse, unmarried.children and in some cases, parents of certain.deceased Veterans..Information on eligibility requirements may.be found at www.benefits.va.gov..To qualify for DIC, a surviving spouse must.generally have been:.Married to a Servicemember who died on active.duty, active duty for training, or inactive.duty training, OR.Been married to a Veteran for at least one.year, OR.Had a child with a Veteran, AND Cohabited.with a Veteran continuously until the Veteran's death.or, if separated, was not at fault for the.separation, AND is not currently remarried..Note that if you are a surviving spouse and.remarry on or after December 16, 2003,.and on or after attaining age 57, then you.are entitled to continue to receive DIC..If you are a surviving child, you are also.eligible for DIC if you are:.Not included on a surviving spouse's DIC,.AND.Unmarried, AND.Under age 18, or between the ages of 18 and.23 and attending school..DIC claims by parents of a Veteran are need-based,.meaning that your income must be less than.the limit established annually by law to qualify..Claims for Survivors Pension are also filed.on the VA 21-534EZ form..Survivors Pension is a tax-free monetary benefit.payable to low-income, un-remarried surviving spouses.and/or unmarried children of a deceased Veteran.with wartime service..To qualify for Survivors Pension, deceased.Veterans must have met the following service requirements:.They must have served at least 90 days of.active military service with at least one.day during a wartime period if they served.on or before September 7, 1980, OR.If they entered active duty after September.7, 1980, they must have served at least 24.months or the full period for which they were.called or ordered to active duty with at least.one day during a war time period, AND.They did not receive a dishonorable discharge.from service..Un-remarried spouses are eligible for Survivors.Pension at any age..However, children of a deceased Veteran applying.for Survivors Pension must be:.Under 18 years old, OR.Under 23 years old if attending a VA-approved.school, OR.Permanently incapable of self-support due.to a disability before age 18.In addition, Survivors Pension is based on.your yearly family income, which must be less.than the amount set by Congress in order to.qualify..Visit www.benefits.va.gov/pension today to.learn more about how VA calculates Survivors Pension..Now let’s discuss the Fully Developed Claim.Program and using VA Form 21-534EZ..The FDC Program and EZ form are useful because:.You learn exactly what evidence is needed.to support your claim for DIC without having.to wait for additional instructions after.the claim is filed, AND.A shortened application form reduces paperwork.and allows for a quicker claims decision than.traditional claims processing..Before you file your claim, VA strongly encourages.you to work with an accredited Veterans Service.Organization, or VSO, to assist you with your.claim..A VSO can help you gather evidence and ensure.you are submitting a completed claim..Best of all, their service is free to you..You can find an accredited VSO online by going.to eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov , or.by calling 1-800-827-1000..To learn more about how a VSO can help you.with your claim, watch the “Benefits of.Working with a VSO to Submit an FDC” video.on the VBA YouTube Channel..Let’s take a look at the application..VA Form 21-534EZ is a shortened and simplified.claims application form used in the FDC Program..The first five pages review the claim filing.notice and requirements..The last five contain the actual application..The FDC Notice part of the form explains the.general differences between the FDC and the.standard claims process in terms of:.How VA will assist with the claim.What you as a claimant need to do.When and how you should submit information.and evidence.The first section on Page 1 outlines key criteria.for the Program..It explains what documents you will need to.submit along with your application..The supporting documents and requirements.that you must submit include:.A copy of a Veteran’s death certificate,.unless he or she died on active duty, AND.If claiming Survivors Pension, all necessary.income and net-worth information, and a completed.VA Form 21-2680, Examination for Housebound.Status of Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance,.and/or a completed VA Form 21-0779, Request.for Nursing Home Information in Connection.with Claim for Aid and Attendance, if claiming.increased survivor benefits, or.If you are claiming DIC, any service treatment.records or personnel records in the custody.of a Reserve or Guard Unit, all relevant private.medical treatment records and identification.of any treatment records at a federal facility,.or.If claiming DIC as the parent of a Veteran,.submitting all necessary income and net-worth.information is required..A completed VA Form 21-524, Statement of Person.Claiming to Have Stood in Relation of Parent,.is required if you were a foster parent of.the Veteran, or.If claiming DIC with increased survivor benefits,.submitting a completed VA Form 21-2680 and/or.a completed VA Form 21-0779..Page 1 also identifies the requirements for.certain claimants:.If you are claiming benefits as the surviving.spouse of a Veteran, you must submit a copy.of your marriage certificate..If claiming benefits for a child or biological/adoptive.parent of the Veteran, submit a copy of the.birth certificate or court record of adoption..If claiming benefits for a child of a Veteran.between ages 18 and 23, a completed VA Form.21-674, Request of Approval of School Attendance,.should be submitted..If claiming benefits for a seriously disabled.or helpless child of a Veteran, then private.medical treatment records related to the child’s.disabilities should be submitted..Page 2 explains the benefits of filing a Fully.Developed Claim:.It is the fastest way to get your claim processed.and there is no risk to participate..If it is determined that your claim does not.qualify for the FDC Program for reasons such.as insufficient evidence, it will simply be.rerouted to the standard claims process..Your claim will still be processed, but not.within the faster time frame..Page 2 also provides a side-by-side comparison.of the FDC Program and the standard claims process..When filing an FDC claim, VA will help obtain.certain evidence needed for your claim..Just like the standard claims process, VA.can retrieve relevant records from a Federal.facility, such as a VA medical center if necessary.for your claim..While in the standard claims process VA will.make every reasonable effort to obtain relevant.records not held by a Federal facility,.in the FDC Program, you must provide all of.this information when you submit your claim..This allows VA to process your claim faster..Remember, in order to qualify for the FDC.Program, all information and evidence must.be submitted simultaneously with your claim..On the other hand, if you choose to go through.the standard claims process instead, you have.one year to submit all of your documents after.the initial claim application has been received..Page 2 also explains where you should submit.the application..Currently, FDC DIC and Survivors Pension claims.cannot be filed electronically on the eBenefits website..All claim applications must be either mailed.or faxed to your local pension management.center or delivered in person to the closest.VA benefits office..Visit www.va.gov/directory, to use the VA.Facility Locator to find the benefits office.closest to you, or get help by calling 1-800-827-1000..Pages 3 - 5 outline what evidence you must.submit to support your claim, depending on.the type of claim you are filing..Evidence tables provide clear instructions.regarding required evidence for each type.of claim..The evidence tables clearly state what must.be submitted to support Survivors Pension,.DIC, Reopened DIC,.Increased Survivor Benefits Based on Need.for Aid and Attendance or Being Housebound,.Accrued Benefits, and Helpless Child claims..This information helps you confirm that you.are submitting ALL of the necessary paperwork.to complete your FDC claim..Remember, failure to submit all necessary.documents upfront may result in your claim.being rerouted from the FDC Program to the.standard claims process..Remember to consider using an accredited VSO.to ensure your claim is complete..Page 5 also explains how VA determines the.effective date of entitlement of your claim..In general, the effective date is usually.when VA receives the claim application..However, if VA received the claim within one.year of the date of a Veteran’s death, entitlement.may be from the first day of the month in.which the Veteran died..This page also provides important resources.about the FDC Program and VA benefits including:.The VA FDC webpage at www.benefits.va.gov/fdc/.VA resources on benefits, including www.va.gov;.The VA IRIS system at http://iris.va.gov,.which is a secure, web based, messaging application.for VA website visitors to communicate with.VA electronically; and.The number for VA’s Pension Call Center:.1-877-294-6380..If you use a Telecommunications Device for.the Deaf (TDD), please dial 711..Remember to watch Part Two to learn about.filling out the application portion of VA.Form 21-534EZ..>>Text:. Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect,.Excellence.>>Graphic: ICARE Logo.>>Graphic: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Seal and Logo.
