Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) is leading legislation that would eliminate the need for surviving spouses or children of veterans rated totally-disabled at the time of death to reapply for certain benefits.

“Surviving families of veterans suffer enough. The last thing they need is to fill out a lengthy, grueling pile of paperwork that proves itself emotionally taxing and unnecessarily bureaucratic,” said Balderson. “My own constituent—the widow of a 9/11 soldier—has endured more than nine months without VA benefits thanks to this redundancy. That’s nine months too long for someone whose loved one served our nation honorably.”

Currently, surviving families of totally-disabled veterans must reapply for Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) benefits called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Reapplying for existing benefits involves a complex, 13-page form, and often results in delays and lengthy gaps in benefits.

This Balderson-led legislation (H.R. 464) would automatically process qualified spouses and children of disabled veterans as surviving claimants of DIC, rather than requiring those beneficiaries to submit a claim after the veteran’s passing.

The legislation was previously introduced by late Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC). After Balderson learned of his constituent’s case waiting while reapplying for DIC benefits, he asked for unanimous consent from the U.S. House of Representatives to be considered the lead sponsor of the legislation.