VA Accrued Benefits

How to get help

A surviving spouse or child may apply by mail with VA Form 21P-534EZ, and a surviving parent with VA Form 21P-535. A person seeking last-illness or burial reimbursement may apply online or submit VA Form 21P-601 by mail. Provide applicable service records, a death certificate, estate authority, and expense receipts. Most accrued-benefit claims must be filed within 1 year after death; the official page notes a different 5-year limit for certain lump-sum accrued benefits.

Who this service helps

Eligibility and payment order depend on whether the deceased beneficiary was a Veteran, surviving spouse, child, or dependent parent. A surviving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent may qualify in the applicable order; when none qualifies, a person who paid last-illness or burial expenses may seek reimbursement up to the amount paid.

Where this service is available

Service area: Nationwide federal survivor benefit available to eligible claimants in all assigned West Texas counties.

A service area describes where help is offered or who may be served. It is not necessarily the organization’s physical location.

Location and contact

Visit the organization website

Source and verification

Source: Public-source listing

Cost / fees

No application fee is stated. Payment is limited to qualifying VA benefits that were due and unpaid, or qualifying reimbursement within the documented expense and benefit limits.

About this service

Accrued benefits are VA benefits that were owed to a beneficiary at death but had not yet been paid. Eligible survivors may claim the unpaid amount, and an eligible person may request substitution to continue a claim or appeal that was pending when the claimant died.

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