Past rates: 2018 VA Survivors Pension benefit rates
Learn about 2018 VA Survivors Pension benefit rates. If you qualify for this benefit as a surviving spouse or dependent child, we’ll base your payment amount on the difference between your countable income and a limit that Congress sets (called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate, or MAPR).
Want to see current VA Survivors Pension benefit rates?
Get rates for the current year
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Your countable income is how much you earn, including your salary, investment and retirement payments, and any income you may have from your dependents. Some expenses, like non-reimbursable medical expenses (paid medical expenses not covered by your insurance provider), may reduce your countable income.
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Your MAPR amount is the maximum amount of pension payable to a Veteran, surviving spouse, or child. Your MAPR is based on how many dependents you have and whether you qualify for Housebound or Aid and Attendance benefits. MAPRs are adjusted each year for cost-of-living increases. You can find your current MAPR amount using the tables below.
Example: You’re a qualified surviving spouse with one dependent child. You also qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits. Your yearly income is $10,000.
Your MAPR amount = $16,837
Your yearly income = $10,000
Your VA pension = $6,837 for the year (or $570 paid each month)
What’s the net worth limit to be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits?
From December 1, 2017, to November 30, 2018, the net worth limit to be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits was $123,600.
On October 18, 2018, we changed the way we assess net worth to make the pension entitlement rules clearer. Net worth includes your assets and annual income. When you apply for Survivors Pension benefits, you’ll need to report all of your assets and income.
Note: If your child's net worth is more than the net worth limit, we don't consider them to be a dependent when we determine your pension.
Read our definitions below:
Assets
Assets include the fair market value of all your real and personal property, minus the amount of any mortgages you may have. “Real property” means any land and buildings you may own. Your personal property assets include any of these items:
- Investments (like stocks and bonds)
- Furniture
- Boats
Assets don’t include:
- Your primary residence (the home where you live most or all of the time)
- Your car
- Basic home items like appliances that you wouldn’t take with you if you moved to a new house
Read more about how we define "assets"
Annual income
Annual income is the money earned in a year from a job or from retirement or annuity payments. It includes any of these:
- Salary or hourly pay
- Bonuses
- Commissions
- Overtime
- Tips
We'll subtract certain expenses from your annual income when we assess net worth. We call these applicable deductible expenses. They include:
- Educational expenses
- Medical expenses you’re not reimbursed for
Read more about how we define “annual income”
An example of net worth and eligibility
If you had $121,000 in assets and $14,000 in annual income, then your net worth would be $135,000. This is more than the net worth limit of $123,600. So you wouldn’t be eligible for Survivors Pension benefits.
What’s the 3-year look-back period for asset transfers?
When we receive a pension claim, we review the terms and conditions of any assets the survivor may have transferred in the 3 years before filing the claim.
If you transfer assets for less than fair market value during the look-back period, and those assets would've pushed your net worth above the limit for a VA Survivors Pension, you may be subject to a penalty period of up to 5 years. You won’t be eligible for pension benefits during this time.
Note: This new policy took effect on October 18, 2018. If you filed your claim before this date, the look-back period doesn’t apply. (A look-back period never includes a date before October 18, 2018.)
What’s a penalty period?
A penalty period is a length of time when a survivor isn’t eligible for pension benefits, because they transferred assets for less than fair market value during the look-back period. This may apply if those transferred assets would've caused the survivor's net worth to be over the limit mentioned above. However, not every asset transfer is subject to this penalty.
If we determine you're subject to a pension penalty, we wouldn't pay pension benefits during the penalty period.
Find your Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) amount
Date of cost-of-living increase: December 1, 2017
Increase factor: 2.0%
Standard Medicare deduction: Actual amount will be determined by SSA based on individual income.
Notes:
- The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Minimum Income Annuity (MIW) limitation is $8,830.
- If you have more than 1 child, add $2,250 to your MAPR amount for each additional child.
- If you have a child who works, you may exclude their wages up to $10,650.
- If you have medical expenses, you may deduct only the amount that’s above 5% of your MAPR amount ($578 for a surviving spouse with 1 dependent).
Notes:
- The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Minimum Income Annuity (MIW) limitation is $8,830.
- If you have medical expenses, you may deduct only the amount that’s above 5% of your MAPR amount ($442 for a surviving spouse with no dependent child).
Full Title 38 regulations
Read the full regulations from Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations:
3.23 Improved pension rates—Veterans and surviving spouses
3.24 Improved pension rates—surviving children