What it is
VA Form 21P-534EZ is the fully developed claim application a surviving spouse, child, or parent files to claim three benefits at once: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Survivors Pension, and any accrued benefits the veteran was owed but had not been paid at death.
When you use it
File this form if you are the survivor of a veteran whose death was service-connected, or if the veteran was rated 100% (or TDIU) for at least 10 years immediately before death, 5 years from discharge, or 1 year before death as a former POW. DIC is then payable as if death were service-connected (38 CFR 3.22). Survivors Pension is need-based and limited to surviving spouses and unmarried children of wartime veterans. Accrued benefits cover compensation, pension, or DIC the VA owed the veteran at the time of death.
What to gather before you fill it out
- Veteran's DD-214 and date/cause of death (death certificate)
- Your marriage certificate and date. DIC generally requires marriage of at least one year, or any duration if a child was born of the marriage (38 CFR 3.50, 3.54)
- Divorce decrees ending any prior marriages for either party
- Children's birth certificates if claiming for a child under 18, or under 23 if in school
- For Survivors Pension: gross household income, net worth, and unreimbursed medical expenses
- Veteran's most recent rating decision if claiming DIC under the 10-year rule
How to submit
Apply online at VA.gov, mail the signed form to the Pension Management Center in Janesville, WI, or hand it to an accredited VSO. File within one year of the veteran's death to receive benefits retroactive to the first of the month of death; later filings pay only from the date received.
Common pitfalls
- Missing the one-year retroactive window
- Remarrying before age 55 (terminates DIC eligibility)
- Omitting net worth or medical expenses on the Survivors Pension section, causing denial for income
- Assuming a 100% rating automatically qualifies, the rating must have been in effect continuously for the full 10/5/1-year period
- Filing 21P-534EZ when the death occurred in service (use 21P-534 instead)
Related forms
21P-534 (non-EZ version), 21-22 (VSO representation), 21P-0969 (income and asset statement), 21P-8416 (medical expense report).
Sources
https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21p-534ez/, 38 CFR 3.5, 3.22, 3.50, 3.54