Adding Dependents to Your VA Benefits

Who is a "dependent?"

Dependents you may add to your VA disability compensation include:

• A Spouse (including spouses in same-sex marriages and common-law marriages)
• Children (including biological children, step children, and adopted children) who are unmarried and either:
  • Under the age of 18
  • Between the ages of 18-23 and attending school full-time, or
  • Who were seriously disabled before the age of 18
• Parents, who are in your direct care and whose income and net worth are below the limit set by law

How to add a dependent to your benefits

The fastest way to add a dependent is online through eBenefits. When you file your dependency claim online, we can make a decision on your claim in as little as 48 hours and it preserves the date of your claim should you receive a favorable award.

Simply log in and click “Dependents” in the left column of your personal dashboard, or click "Add Remove a Dependent" under the Apply section on the eBenefits homepage. Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions and click, Submit. For more information on the online application process, watch these quick tutorials for adding a spouse and child under the age of 18 and for adding a child over the age of 18.

NOTE: You must have a Premium eBenefits account in order to file your claim online. Don’t have a Premium eBenefits account? Learn how to get one in this short tutorial.

If you’ve already submitted a paper dependency claim, but have not received a decision from us, you should resubmit your claim online through eBenefits. Filing online will allow you to begin receiving your benefits sooner. Your paper claim will still be reviewed, and we will evaluate both the paper and online claim applications. If you’re entitled to additional pay, you will be paid based on the most beneficial effective date.

NOTE: Parents and spouses in common law marriages, cannot be added to your benefits online through eBenefits. To add a parent as a dependent, use VA Form 21-509, Statement of Dependency of Parents and to add a spouse from a common law marriage, submit VA Form 21-686c, Declaration of Status of Dependents. See the "adding a dependent using the VA paper forms" section below for more information on submitting paper dependency claims.

When to add a dependent

If you did not add your dependents as part of your initial disability claim, it’s important to add them as soon as you receive your 30% or higher rating decision from us. In some cases, we will only pay back benefits to the date you started your new dependency claim.

Filing online lets you save that start date while you gather your information. Once you begin your online application, you have 365 days to put in all the required information and submit your claim. If awarded, your claim will be paid based on the most beneficial effective date.

Make sure all the information you provide is correct, and don’t leave any fields blank. Your claim cannot be submitted if required information is missing. Incorrect information can cause a delay in getting your claim processed.

Adding a dependent using the VA paper forms

We strongly encourage Veterans to file dependency claims online through eBenefits. However, if you can’t file your claim online, you can use these paper forms to add dependents to your benefits:

• To add spouses and children: VA Form 21-686c, Declaration of Status of Dependents
  • If your child is over the age of 18 and attending school full time, in addition to VA Form 21-686c, you must also file: VA Form 21-674: Request for Approval of School Attendance
• To add a parent as a dependent: VA Form 21P-509, Statement of Dependency of Parent(s)

After you fill out your paper forms, mail them to our claim intake center for processing. You can also work with an accredited Veterans Service Organization, who can answer any questions you have about the claim process or the specific paper forms.