Past rates: 2024 VA Survivors Pension benefit rates
Review 2024 VA Survivors Pension benefit rates. If you qualify for this benefit as a surviving spouse or dependent child, we’ll base your payment amount on the difference between your income for VA purposes and a limit that Congress sets (called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate, or MAPR).
- Your income for VA purposes is how much you earn, including your salary, investment and retirement payments, and any income you may have from your dependents. Some expenses, like non-reimbursable medical expenses (paid medical expenses not covered by your insurance provider), may reduce your income for VA purposes.
- Your MAPR amount is the maximum amount of pension payable to a Veteran, surviving spouse, or child. Your MAPR is based on how many dependents you have and whether you qualify for Housebound or Aid and Attendance benefits. MAPRs are adjusted each year for cost-of-living increases. You can find your current MAPR amount using the tables below.
Example: You’re a qualified surviving spouse with one dependent child. You also qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits. Your yearly income is $10,000.
Your MAPR amount = $21,166
Your yearly income = $10,000
Your VA pension = $11,166 for the year (or $930.50 paid each month)
What’s the net worth limit to be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits?
From December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, the net worth limit to be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits is $155,356.
On October 18, 2018, we changed the way we assess net worth to make the pension entitlement rules clearer. The net worth calculation includes your and your dependent’s assets and income for VA purposes. When you apply for Survivors Pension benefits, you’ll need to report all of these assets and income.
Note: If your child’s net worth is more than the net worth limit, we don’t consider them to be a dependent when we determine your pension.
Read our definitions below:
Assets
Assets include the fair market value of all the real and personal property that you own, minus the amount of any mortgages you may have. “Real property” means any land and buildings you may own. Your personal property assets may include these and other items:
- Investments (like stocks and bonds)
- Antique furniture
- Boats
Assets don’t include:
- Your primary residence (the home where you live most or all of the time)
- Your car
- Basic home items like appliances that you wouldn’t take with you if you moved to a new house
Read more about how we define "assets"
Annual income for VA purposes
Annual income is the money earned in a year from a job or from retirement or annuity payments. Your annual income for VA purposes may include these and other kinds of income:
- Salary or hourly pay
- Bonuses
- Commissions
- Overtime
- Tips
We may subtract certain expenses from your annual income when we assess your income for VA purposes and net worth. We call these applicable deductible expenses. They include:
- Educational expenses
- Medical expenses you’re not reimbursed for
Read more about how we define “annual income”
An example of net worth and eligibility
If you had $121,000 in assets and $14,000 in annual income for VA purposes, then your net worth would be $135,000. This is less than the net worth limit of $155,356. So you would be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits.
What’s the 3-year look-back period for asset transfers?
When we receive a pension claim, we review the terms and conditions of any assets the survivor may have transferred in the 3 years before filing the claim.
If you transfer assets for less than fair market value during the look-back period, and those assets would have pushed your net worth above the limit for a VA Survivors Pension, you may be subject to a penalty period of up to 5 years. You won’t be eligible for pension benefits during this time.
Note: This policy took effect on October 18, 2018. If you filed your claim before this date, the look-back period doesn’t apply. (A look-back period never includes a date before October 18, 2018.)
What’s a penalty period?
A penalty period is a length of time when a survivor isn’t eligible for pension benefits, because they transferred assets for less than fair market value during the look-back period. We won’t pay pension benefits during the penalty period.
Find your Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) amount
Date of cost-of-living increase: December 1, 2023
Increase factor: 3.2%
Standard Medicare deduction: Actual amount will be determined by SSA based on individual income.
Notes:
- The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Minimum Income Annuity (MIW) limitation is $11,102.
- If you have more than 1 child, add $2,831 to your MAPR amount for each additional child.
- If you have a child who works, you may exclude their wages up to $14,600.
- If you have medical expenses, you may deduct only the amount that’s above 5% of your MAPR amount ($726 for a surviving spouse with 1 dependent).
Notes:
- The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Minimum Income Annuity (MIW) limitation is $11,102.
- If you have medical expenses, you may deduct only the amount that’s above 5% of your MAPR amount ($555 for a surviving spouse with no dependent child).
Full Title 38 regulations
Read the full regulations from Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations:
3.23 Improved pension rates—Veterans and surviving spouses
3.24 Improved pension rates—surviving children