Can I receive both accrued benefits and DIC?

Details

• Accrued benefits arise under 38 U.S.C. § 5121 and are based on evidence already in the veteran's file when they died.
• DIC arises under 38 U.S.C. §§ 1310 and 1318 and requires its own showing, typically that a service-connected condition caused or contributed to death (or that the veteran met total-disability duration requirements).
• Both can generally be requested on the same application, VA Form 21P-534EZ, which covers DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits.
• Substitution, if applicable to a claim still pending at death, is yet another separate avenue and may also be pursued alongside a DIC claim.
• Because eligibility for each benefit depends on different facts, VA evaluates and decides each one separately, even when filed together.