What are accrued benefits?

Details

• Unlike substitution, an accrued-benefits claim cannot add new evidence developed after death; it is decided on the record that existed when the veteran died.
• Eligible recipients generally follow a priority order set by regulation — typically the surviving spouse first, then children, then dependent parents, under 38 CFR § 3.1000.
• A separate accrued-benefits claim must generally be filed by the survivor; it is not automatically paid out.
• There is a filing deadline for accrued-benefits claims, so survivors should not wait to look into this after a veteran's death.