DOD Casualty Assistance Program (DOD CAO)

Death gratuity

A payment to the survivors of a service member who dies on active duty, on active or inactive duty training, or in authorized travel to or from that duty. It also covers a death within 120 days after release from that duty that VA finds resulted from an injury or disease incurred or aggravated during it.^{4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

Who qualifies: Survivors the service member designated on DD Form 93, in 10 percent increments; any undesignated balance passes under the order of precedence in 10 U.S.C. 1477.

Amount: $100,000, tax-exempt, paid as a lump sum. The amount was raised from $12,000 to $100,000 by Public Law 109-13 in May 2005.

How to apply: The casualty assistance officer initiates the claim on DD Form 397; there is no separate family application. It is normally paid within 72 hours of receipt of DD Form 397. Form DD Form 397.

Amounts due the person at death

Unpaid pay and allowances, accrued leave and travel entitlements are among the immediate benefits the casualty assistance officer works through with the family.^{9, 10}

Who qualifies: The people the service member designated on DD Form 93 to receive unpaid pay and allowances.

Life insurance proceeds

Low-cost group term life insurance for service members, administered by the VA through the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (OSGLI), not by DOD. Members on active duty are automatically insured at $500,000 unless they elect a lower amount or decline in writing.^{11, 12, 13}

Who qualifies: Beneficiaries the service member named through the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) via milConnect; payable on the death of any covered service member.

Amount: Up to $500,000, in $50,000 increments.

How to apply: Beneficiaries file VA Form SGLV 8283 with OSGLI with a copy of the death certificate; the branch casualty assistance office helps with the form. VA publishes a casualty-officer-assisted version and a direct-filing version. Form SGLV 8283.

Life insurance proceeds

VA life insurance on the spouse and dependent children of a service member covered by full-time SGLI. Spouse coverage carries a premium that rises with the spouse's age and is deducted from the member's pay; child coverage is automatic and free and cannot be declined or reduced.^{14, 12}

Who qualifies: Spouses and dependent children of service members covered by full-time SGLI; the service member is the claimant.

Amount: Spouse: up to $100,000, not to exceed the service member's SGLI coverage. Dependent child: $10,000 per child at no cost.

How to apply: If a covered family member dies, the service member files VA Form SGLV 8283A with OSGLI, with help from the casualty assistance office, and receives the payout. Form SGLV 8283A.

Monthly survivor benefit or annuity

A tax-free monthly payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs to eligible survivors of service members who died in the line of duty, or of veterans whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease. VA processes it separately from DOD benefits.^{3, 15}

Who qualifies: Surviving spouse, surviving children and surviving parents of a service member who died in the line of duty or a veteran whose death was service-connected.

How to apply: For an in-service death, the casualty assistance officer helps the surviving spouse or child complete VA Form 21P-534a and mail it to the correct VA regional office. Survivors of a veteran use VA Form 21P-534EZ; surviving parents use VA Form 21P-535. Form VA Form 21P-534a.

Monthly survivor benefit or annuity

A monthly annuity, based on a percentage of retired pay, paid to a deceased member's eligible survivors, because retired pay itself stops at the member's death. DFAS administers it, not the casualty assistance program: the officer starts the paperwork and DFAS pays the annuity.^{16, 17}

Who qualifies: Eligible survivors designated under the deceased member's SBP coverage; DFAS determines eligibility and pays the annuity.

How to apply: The beneficiary submits DD Form 2656-7 to DFAS with supporting documentation, which for a service member includes DD Form 1300. The casualty assistance officer starts the claim with the family. Form DD Form 2656-7.

Burial, funeral and memorial benefits

By law, units provide at a minimum a two-person uniformed detail for the core elements: the playing of Taps and the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag, which a uniformed representative of the member's branch presents. A live bugler is preferred, but a ceremonial bugle or a high-quality recording may be used.¹⁸

Who qualifies: Most active-duty service members and, depending on discharge status and other factors, most veterans and certain groups given active-duty determination.

Amount: No cost to the family.

How to apply: The casualty assistance officer or the funeral director requests honors through the service branch, using the Military Funeral Honors Directory for the area, as early as possible so the services can organize the detail.

Burial, funeral and memorial benefits

A VA burial allowance toward funeral, burial and transportation costs, plus burial in a VA national cemetery, government-furnished headstones, markers, medallions, plaques and urns, and Presidential Memorial Certificates. The casualty assistance officer coordinates these alongside VA.¹⁹

Who qualifies: Service members who die on active duty and eligible veterans; allowance amounts depend on the circumstances of death.

How to apply: The casualty assistance officer coordinates VA burial benefits; families can also call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office.

Health coverage for survivors

Surviving family members of a service member who dies on active duty become "transitional survivors", covered as active-duty family members with plan options and costs unchanged. After 3 years a surviving spouse's coverage changes to that of a retired family member, which changes options and out-of-pocket costs.^{20, 21}

Who qualifies: Surviving spouse, a transitional survivor for 3 years from the date of death, and surviving children, transitional survivors until they age out of TRICARE or lose eligibility for another reason; their coverage does not change at 3 years.

How to apply: The casualty assistance officer helps update DEERS, issue new dependent ID cards and confirm TRICARE plan options. DEERS reflects the status change automatically and sends the surviving spouse a letter before it happens.

The member's designation of who receives the Death Gratuity and unpaid pay and allowances, and whom to notify. Item 11a's instructions carry the order of precedence when a member does not designate the full amount.¹⁰

Completed by the service member.

Used by the casualty assistance officer to process the $100,000 Death Gratuity. Payment is normally made within 72 hours of its receipt.²⁴

Completed by the casualty assistance officer.

The official DOD record of the service member's death, required for many later benefit claims including the SBP annuity. The service branch issues it and the casualty assistance officer provides it to the family.²⁵

Filed with DFAS by the designated beneficiary to start a Survivor Benefit Plan annuity account, with supporting documentation such as the DD Form 1300.¹⁷

Completed by the designated beneficiary.

Filed by SGLI beneficiaries with the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance to claim the death benefit (up to $500,000). A casualty-officer-assisted version and a direct-filing version are both published.²⁶

Completed by the SGLI beneficiary.

Filed by the service member with OSGLI to claim the FSGLI death benefit when a covered spouse or dependent child dies.²⁷

Completed by the service member.

Used by the surviving spouse or child of a service member who died on active duty to apply for DIC. The military casualty assistance officer helps complete it and mails it to the correct VA regional office.¹⁵

Completed by the surviving spouse or child.

Surviving parents apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation separately on this form.³

Completed by the surviving parent.

Survivors of a veteran, rather than of a service member who died in service, apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation on this form.³