I never filed for disability when I separated. Can I still claim?

Yes. File now. You'll get an effective date of the filing and monthly compensation going forward, plus up to 1 year of retroactive back-pay if VA links the condition to service.

My spouse died of a heart attack, but he served in Vietnam. Do I qualify for DIC?

Possibly. Ischemic heart disease is a VA-presumed condition for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. File Form 21-534EZ and request a DIC determination. Free help from a VSO strongly recommended.

How do I find out if I have old military pay?

Start at DFAS.mil. Also search your state's unclaimed-property database using your name plus any former duty-station addresses.

Can I get back pay for a disability I had but never reported during service?

If the condition is documented in your service medical records, yes. If it's not, you'll need supporting buddy statements or post-service medical records showing the link. A VSO can help build the file.

Are VA benefits taxable?

Generally no — VA disability, DIC, and VA pension are all federal tax-free. Military retirement pay is taxable. State tax treatment varies.

Unclaimed Veterans Benefits: How to Find Yours

Benefits veterans and spouses commonly miss

**VA Disability Compensation** — if you had a service-connected condition but never filed, you may be owed back pay to the date of discharge plus ongoing monthly compensation. Average current payment: ~$1,700/month. No filing deadline, but effective date of compensation is typically the filing date, not the original onset.

**Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)** — survivor benefit for spouses of veterans who died of service-connected causes. Roughly $1,600/month tax-free for an unremarried surviving spouse. Many surviving spouses don't file because they don't know they qualify.

**VA Pension** — needs-based benefit for wartime veterans aged 65+ or disabled, with limited income. Also applies to surviving spouses (Survivor's Pension, formerly "Death Pension"). Requires the veteran served at least one day during a designated war era.

**GI Bill benefits** — sometimes transferred to family members but never used.

**Unused TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) balances** — military's equivalent of a 401(k). Balances left behind by departing service members or deceased veterans.

**Unclaimed military pay** — final paychecks, travel reimbursements, and separation pay that bounced to unclaimed-property programs.

Where to search

**VA.gov benefits search** — create an account at va.gov, then the "My VA Health" and "My VA Benefits" pages list everything you're currently receiving or potentially eligible for.

**DFAS (Defense Finance & Accounting Service)** at dfas.mil — specifically their "Unclaimed Payments" portal for military pay that went unpaid.

**State unclaimed-property databases** — final military paychecks and separation pay often escheat to the state of the service member's last duty station.

**TSP.gov** — if you had a Thrift Savings Plan during service and never rolled it over, the balance may still be there under your name.

**PBGC's missing-participants database** — military reserve pensions that couldn't locate the veteran.

How to file a disability or DIC claim

**VSO (Veterans Service Organization) help is free.** DAV, VFW, American Legion all have accredited representatives who help file at no cost. Going solo results in more denials. Use vaclaims.org or va.gov/ogc to find an accredited rep.

File via va.gov's eBenefits portal for online claims. Paper Form 21-526EZ is also accepted.

Gather: DD-214 (discharge document), service medical records, current medical records showing the disability, and any supporting statements from family/fellow service members who witnessed the issue during service.

Expect 4–8 months for initial decision. Appeals can add 12–18 months. The retroactive back-pay covers from the effective date (usually filing date or the date VA links the condition to service) forward.

Surviving spouse specifics

To qualify for DIC, the veteran's death must be service-connected (from a condition caused or aggravated by military service). The VA presumes service connection for many conditions — e.g. death from conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure for Vietnam veterans, or burn-pit exposure under the PACT Act.

Even if the veteran died of something "natural" decades after service, DIC may still apply if a VA examiner can link the condition to service exposure.

Surviving spouses lose DIC if they remarry before age 57. After 57, remarriage doesn't disqualify.

Children can qualify for DIC too (under 18, or under 23 if in school, or at any age if permanently disabled before 18).

Deadlines and back pay rules

No deadline on filing for VA disability, but retroactive pay is generally limited to one year before the filing date (unless you were medically unable to file earlier, in which case tolling may apply).

**Exception:** the PACT Act (2022) established a special filing window where veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic hazards could claim retroactively to the date of the law. The window has tight deadlines for specific claim types — check va.gov for current windows.

DIC has no filing deadline, but the same 1-year retroactive rule applies.

State unclaimed property tied to military pay has no deadline in most states.