Military Death Benefits: Status and Proposals

Department of Defense DoD benefits for survivors of deceased members of the armed forces vary significantly in purpose and structure. Benefits such as the death gratuity provide immediate cash payments to assist these survivors in meeting their financial needs during the period immediately following a members death. Similarly, the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance SGLI provides the life insurance policy value in a lump sum payment following the servicemembers death. Other benefits such as the Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation DIC and the Survivor Benefit Plan SBP, are designed to provide long-term monthly income. Additional death benefits provided by the DoD for survivors and dependents include housing assistance, health care, commissary and exchange benefits, educational assistance, and burial, funeral, and related benefits. Survivors may also receive death benefits from Social Security. In response to P.L. 108-375, Feb 1, 2005, DoD presented proposed survivor benefit changes during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. DoD recommended an increase in the death gratuity benefit from its current amount of 12,420 to 100,000, limited to servicemembers killed in an area or operation designated by the Secretary of Defense. The DoD also recommended an increase in SGLI coverage from 250,000 to 400,000, with the premiums for the additional 150,000 coverage paid for by the government for servicemembers serving in areas or operations designated by the Secretary of Defense. Military personnel not serving in such designated areas could receive the additional coverage, but at their own expense. As proposed by DoD, both of these measures would be made retroactive to Oct 7, 2001, when U.S. military operations began in Afghanistan. This report describes the various death benefits from the DoD, Department of Veterans Affairs VA, and Social Security available to certain survivors of members of the Armed Forces who die on active duty.