Other Types of Veterans Benefits

Military retirement payment — A payment made to an individual who retired from active duty military service after at least 20 years of service. Military retirement is not a VA program, but is paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Cleveland (DFAS-CL). The gross payment is counted as unearned income.

Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) — Active duty members are automatically enrolled in this program. Surviving spouses and/or children of service members who die while on active duty may be entitled to SBP payments made by DFAS-CL. SBP payments are equal to 55 percent of what a member's retirement pay would have been had the member been retired at 100 percent disability. An SBP payment is reduced by the amount of payments provided under the VA DIC program.

At retirement, retirees may choose to purchase the SBP. In this case, the SBP pays retired military members’ eligible survivors an inflation-adjusted monthly income. Basic SBP for a spouse pays a benefit equal to 55 percent of the retired individual's pay. Eligible children may also be SBP beneficiaries while they are dependents of the retired individual, either alone or added to spouse coverage. Any VA DIC paid to a spouse is subtracted from SBP payments, although VA DIC payments to or for children do not affect SBP payments. SBP premiums are refunded to the survivor if the monthly VA DIC amount is greater than the SBP monthly annuity.

The gross amount of any SBP payment is counted as unearned income.

VA educational assistance programs — Different programs provide education assistance, including vocational rehabilitation. The policy in A-1322.1 , Educational Assistance, applies.