VA Dependents Guide

Section 1

Who Qualifies as a Dependent?

💍 Spouse

Current legal spouse. Common-law marriages recognized in states where legal. Same-sex spouses fully eligible.

👧 Children Under 18

Biological children, legally adopted children, and stepchildren who are part of the veteran's household.

🎓 School-Age Children (18-23)

Children aged 18-23 who are enrolled full-time in an approved educational institution.

🤝 Helpless Children

Children who became permanently incapable of self-support before age 18. No age limit — can be claimed for life.

👨‍👩‍👧 Dependent Parents

Parents who are financially dependent on the veteran. Income limits apply. Includes biological, adoptive, and stepparents.

⚠️ Requirement

You must be rated 30% or higher combined VA disability to receive dependent compensation.

Section 2

Additional Monthly Compensation (2026 Rates)

The amount you receive per dependent increases with your disability rating:

Rating	Spouse	Each Child Under 18	Each School Child (18-23)	A&A for Spouse
30%	$60	$27	$88	$55
40%	$85	$36	$117	$74
50%	$110	$45	$146	$92
60%	$136	$54	$175	$111
70%	$161	$63	$205	$130
80%	$186	$72	$234	$148
90%	$212	$81	$263	$167
100%	$237	$90	$292	$185

Note: These are additional amounts on top of your base compensation rate. Use our Payment Calculator to see your full monthly amount with dependents.

Section 3

How to Add or Remove Dependents

1

File VA Form 21-686c — Declaration of Status of Dependents. Available online through VA.gov or paper submission.

2

Provide supporting documents: Marriage certificate (spouse), birth certificate (children), adoption decree, school enrollment verification (18-23).

3

For school-age children (18-23): Also file VA Form 21-674 — Request for Approval of School Attendance.

4

For dependent parents: Submit income information. Parent's income must be below VA threshold.

5

Removing dependents: Report within 30 days of divorce, child turning 18 (and not in school), or other status changes to avoid overpayment.

Fastest method: File through VA.gov online. Processing is typically faster than paper submission. You can also call 1-800-827-1000 or visit your local VA regional office.

Section 4

School-Age Children (18-23)

Keep Getting Paid for Children Over 18

When your child turns 18, the VA will automatically remove them as a dependent — but if they're in school, you can keep the compensation:

🎓 Child must be enrolled full-time in a high school, college, vocational, or trade school

📋 File VA Form 21-674 BEFORE the child turns 18 to avoid a gap in payment

💰 School-age dependent rate is higher than the under-18 rate

📅 Must re-certify enrollment each school year

Section 5

Dependency Verification

The VA periodically verifies your dependents. Here's what to know:

📨 Verification letters: The VA may send periodic requests to verify your dependent status. Respond promptly — failure to respond can result in removal.

⚠️ Overpayment risk: If you fail to report a dependent change (divorce, child aging out), the VA will create an overpayment debt.

📅 Report changes within 30 days: Marriage, divorce, birth, death, child turning 18, child leaving school.

💰 Back pay: If you were rated 30%+ but forgot to add dependents, you can add them retroactively. File now and the VA will pay back to the date you were eligible.

Section 6

Frequently Asked Questions

A: No. You must file VA Form 21-686c to add your dependents. The VA will send you a letter reminding you, but you need to take action and submit the form with supporting documents.

A: No. Dependent compensation only begins at 30% combined rating. However, you should still register them so that if your rating increases to 30% or above, they're already on file.

A: Yes — you must report within 30 days. If your child is between 18 and 23 and no longer enrolled full-time in school, they no longer qualify. Failure to report creates an overpayment that the VA will collect.

A: VA disability compensation is protected from division in divorce. However, some state courts may order you to pay an equivalent amount from other sources. VA compensation itself cannot be garnished for spousal support (but can be garnished for child support).