Washington, D.C.—Congressman Steve Buyer (IN-04), Ranking Member on the House Committee of Veterans’ Affairs, has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN) that would increase benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays to widows and widowers whose spouses died while on active military duty or as the result of a service connected injury or illness.  The Surviving Spouses’ Benefit Improvement Act of 2009, H.R. 2243, would also eliminate an unjust offset between the VA benefit and a military benefit for survivors.

“I am pleased to join with my friend and colleague, Tim Walz, in introducing the Surviving Spouses’ Benefit Improvement Act of 2009,” Congressman Buyer said. “As a former Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard, Congressman Walz knows firsthand why this measure to increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is so important.”

The bill would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) by twelve percent so that the base rate of DIC is equal to fifty-five percent of the rate of compensation paid to a totally disabled veteran. As a result of this legislation, the ratio would be equivalent to that which is paid to survivors of federal, civilian employees who are killed while performing their duties.

“While their sacrifices are not readily discernible, spouses of seriously disabled veterans often limit their own careers and other opportunities to serve as caregivers,” Buyer said. “Consequently, these unselfish individuals may not reach the level of financial independence they would have otherwise attained.” 

Congressman Buyer and Walz believe the inequity should be eliminated along with the offset between DIC and the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), which is a purchased annuity. Career military retirees pay approximately six and a half percent of their retired pay to ensure that their family has a guaranteed income.  If the retiree dies due to a service connected disability, their survivor also becomes eligible for DIC, but to accept DIC, the law requires an equal cut in SBP. The Buyer bill deems that is unfair because the two benefits have separate and distinct purposes; SBP is like premium-based life insurance, and DIC is compensation for a service-connected death. 

“The last major improvement to this program was in 1992.  Our widows have waited too long for this inequity to be resolved—this Congress must do what is right and pass this bill,” added Buyer.

###