My husband was retired military when we married. We were married twenty years when he died. He did not pay into survivors benefit and not receiving disability at death. He was in Vietnam during use of agent orange, the cause of death bone cancer. He died in 2003 and I am 59. Do I qualify for any benefits.
Thanks for the chance to help. I am an attorney with over 12 years military law experience.There are a few different widow's benefits available, you may qualify for one or more. You would not qualify for SBP (survivor benefit program) payments unless he had paid into the program and listed you as beneficiary.But you would qualify for TRICARE insurance since he was retired military at the time of his death.If he was not rated by the VA as disabled, you would not qualify for the main death benefit available to widows...to qualify for this benefit (DIC or Dependents Indemnity Compensation) the veteran would have to have died of a service connected disability. Once the vet passes it is too late to file for the service connectionYou may qualify for a widows pension. This is a needs based pension, payable if your income, minus medical expenses, is less than about $800/month.