Caring for Survivors Act of 2025

The "Caring for Survivors Act of 2025" seeks to enhance and broaden eligibility for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for certain veteran survivors. A key provision significantly increases the monthly DIC payment for surviving spouses by changing its calculation from a fixed dollar amount to 55 percent of the monthly compensation rate for a veteran rated 100 percent disabled. This adjustment will apply to compensation paid for months beginning six months after the bill's enactment, with a special rule ensuring that certain survivors whose veteran died before January 1, 1993, receive the greater of their current or the new, increased amount. The legislation also modifies the eligibility criteria for DIC for survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled at the time of their death. It reduces the required period of continuous total disability immediately preceding death from 10 or more years to five or more years for these survivors to qualify for benefits. Furthermore, for cases where the continuous rating period is less than 10 years but at least 5 years, the payable DIC amount will be prorated based on the duration of the disability period relative to 10 years.