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The Markup hearing on this bill was a bit heated over funding sources for the bill. 

"Because of this political squabbling, and political posturing, and because of putting politics over policy and people; We are unable to provide more money to our Gold Star Spouses. A Gold Star Family, it's not a mortgage like we are discussing here, or a 30-year commitment, its a lifetime commitment that we OWE as American Citizens because their husband or wife is never going to come back. ... Because of this political posturing...we can't give them more support and that is SHAMEFUL."  Congressman Van Orden, WI3, Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Feb 12, 2026. Comments on HR 6047

"We beleive that the country should pay for this and not other Veterans" Minority House Committe Chair, Congressman Takano

"(HR 6047) Reaffirms a prormise that their service to this country was not in vain; America has their (our) back" Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Congressman Bost, on HR 6047 proceeding to the full house of Representatives.

Today the House Veterans Affairs Committee marked up HR 6047 the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025. This bill will incrementally increase Dependent Indemnity Compensation (DIC) by a certain percentage over a set number of years. This bill also increases special monthly compensation (SMC) for veteran's who are catastrophically disabled and require round-the-clock care. Original bill DIC increase was 5% over 5 years. Amendments put forward are asking for 0.5% over 2 years due to budgetary restraints and funding sources.

DIC is paid to Surviving Spouses of those killed in combat or active duty and Surviving Spouses of those with Service-Connected Deaths-meaning their active-duty service caused their deaths.

Gold Star Spouses of America supports ANY increase in DIC which will bring current rates in line with other Federal Survivor Benefits, even if it is incremental. Currently other Federal Survivors receive 55%. DIC compensation is paid at approximately 43% of a single 100 percent disabled veteran (special monthly compensations not considered in calculations).

An additional bill HR2055, Caring for Survivors- addresses the full disparity in DIC to parity with other Federal Survivor Benefits.

HR 6047, is a beginning, a start, to addressing the disparity, and restore dignity, and parity in survivor’s payments to Surviving Spouses. Not an end.

We will continue to advocate for Surviving Spouses as part of the mission of Gold Star Spouses of America in remembrance of those who gave their lives to this country.

Meet Your Neighbor: Kathy Prout’s dedication benefits thousands

Perseverance and persuasion are just two of the key elements that Kathy Prout embraced after her husband, Rear Admiral James G. (Jay) Prout III, the Commander of the USS Carl Vinson battle group, was killed in a military F/AC 18 plane crash in 1995.

The family had moved 26 times in Jay’s 29-year Naval career. Through the years, they were stationed many times in Coronado, where they were living when he died. As a Navy widow, she encountered many hurdles, including being told by her Casualty Assistance Officer that the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset the Department of Defense Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). The result was that her survivor benefit would be 78 percent less than active duty pay, which was fiscally and emotionally devastating.

“No one tells you what happens after they hand you the folded flag,” she says, and references “widow brain” clouding the ability to think clearly and navigate a complicated system that is difficult to grasp. She started her “agitation,” as she calls it, later that year and reached out to the Department of Defense (DOD) and various admirals and generals to ask that they do something to fix this problem. Kathy learned that this was not an easily remedied policy change but that the law needed to be changed. This meant that she had to figure out how to get legislation passed. She reached out to her congresswoman, other military widows, and veteran service organizations to obtain support for the issue and get a bill introduced.

Through the years she’s met many other military surviving spouses who were impacted, as she worked to educate Congressional staffers, organizations such as the VFW, the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and Silver Strand Chapter of MOAA, San Diego Board of Supervisors, SD Veterans Coalition, and more. It was an uphill battle, with everyone sympathetic to the predicament but not willing to affect change. She refused to give up and went to Washington, DC more than 100 times, sometimes alone and other times with two or three other widows, to meet with legislators and their staff.

Her advocacy gained traction in 2013, when she took to social media and created a private Facebook group for surviving spouses to find each other and work on the issue together. The group grew from six members to more than 2200 by 2019. 2016 was a pivotal year, when she started a petition on Change.org called “Stop denying earned survivor benefits to military widows” that garnered more than 100,000 signatures and was sent to President Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and other key leaders at the time. She drew on her teaching skills and created sample letters and talking points so supporters could personalize their message.

Kathy was interviewed by NBC reporters for a story that aired in June 2025 about her Congressional efforts.

In December 2019, the Military Widows Equity Act (bill numbers HR 553 and S.622, which can be searched at www.congress.gov) was passed into law and included the National Defense Authorization Act. These bills had the most co-sponsors of any bills in Congress, through grass roots advocacy and the tenacity of military surviving spouses, with the most important assistance by MOAA, TAPS, and the VFW. When S.622 went to the floor of the Senate for a vote, it got 94 “yays” out of 100. The repeal was not retroactive back to the date of death, but just moving forward from the date of passage. The offset took another four years, with a three-year phase in, beginning in February 2021 through February 2023, when remaining surviving spouses started receiving full compensation. This repeal improved the lives of more than 66,000 military surviving spouses in 2019, and more since.

Kathy points out that there are still surviving spouses who don’t know about this significant change. Her Facebook group, Military Widows: SBP-DIC Offset/DIC Improvement, which now has more than 2600 members, provides information on how to apply for reinstatement, and information on the Caring for Survivors Act of 2025.

Last month, Kathy received a proclamation from the Coronado City Council designating January 20, 2026 as “Kathy Prout Day” in recognition of recently being named a 2025 MOAA Changemaker for Community Impact. She earned this honor because of her decades of dedicated work advocating for military surviving spouses and as a founder and board member of Gold Star Spouses of America, Inc. (GSSA). GSSA is a non-profit organization supporting both longstanding and newly bereaved surviving spouses of veterans and active duty service members who either died in the line of duty on active duty or of a military service caused illness or injury.

Kathy’s fight is not over. She emphasized that she does this to honor her husband’s service and sacrifice, and give his tragic death meaning. In April, she will once again travel to Washington, DC, this time for “The Caring for Survivor’s Act,” for improvements in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and the “Love Lives On Act,” which would allow military widows to remarry at any age, not only after 55, and keep their benefits.

She highlights that Representatives Scott Peters, Mike Levin, and Juan Vargas, have been supportive and sponsored bills to help military survivors and veterans. She is currently working with Vargas on language to amend the “HART Act.” which would change the IRA time frame from the current one year to three years for active-duty surviving spouses to convert SGLI (the military life insurance) into a Roth IRA. Many miss the opportunity due to lack of knowledge and/or “widow brain” fog.

While serving on the Board of the CA Council of Chapters of MOAA (CALMOAA), they took the initiative to eliminate California income tax on military retired pay and SBP. Kathy rallied as many as possible of the 27,000 surviving spouses to contact California legislators and the governor to garner support for AB 53. California did pass a $20,000 partial reduction in state taxes, with income limits, meaning it is no longer the only state in the country to not offer any reduction in military retired pay. She says this is a good start and they will continue to work for the complete elimination of taxes on military retired pay and SBP.

Kathy is also on the board of the local Silver Strand Chapter of MOAA, where she asked the board to be a sponsor for Wreaths Across America. She took the lead on the project, resulting in the donation of 600 wreaths for Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. Additionally, she orchestrated a food drive that garnered over 125 pounds of nonperishable foods to be donated to the ASYMCA for distribution to needy military families.

As Jr. Vice President of the Coronado VFW Auxiliary, with 15 core members and 181 in total, Kathy was busy as the “salmon chef” last June and July for the VFW Steak and Salmon dinners during the Sunday Concerts in the Park. She is pleased that the VFW Auxiliary recently gave over $11,000 to a variety of worthy non-profit organizations that support multiple organizations that help veterans. Support is needed for their upcoming March 26-28 rummage sale to help raise additional funds. Community members can start gathering household and clothing items in good condition to donate; furniture and large appliances are not accepted.

It’s undeniable that Kathy — as a Gold Star wife, mother of three, and grandmother of five — has made a positive impact in the community and on the lives of military families. When she’s not involved in military family advocacy, she enjoys going to lunch with friends, gardening, baking, and tootling around the Village in the golf cart with her grandchildren, who love Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory, snacks and slushies at the Shell station store, and slices from High Tide Pizza, Village Pizza, and Garage Buona Forchetta.

https://coronadotimes.com/news/2026/02/11/meet-your-neighbor-kathy-prouts-dedication-benefits-thousands/

The  electronic 1099R for 2025 is now available on myPay for SBP reciepents.

https://mypay.dfas.mil/

If you have any questions regarding the information on your 1099R, please call 1-800-321-1080.

******

VA Benefits are tax exempt so DIC recipients will receive no tax document from the VA. 

Washington, November 17, 2025 | Kathleen McCarthy

Subcommittees: Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs , Economic Opportunity , Full Committee

• 

Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), and Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Chairman Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), released the following statements after they introduced H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, landmark legislation that would increase the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) monthly compensation benefit for service-connected, catastrophically disabled veterans and the surviving family of 100% disabled or deceased  veterans. This tax-free benefit, meant to financially support the loved ones for the loss of their disabled veteran, has not been increased in decades.

H.R. 6047 is named after Sharri Briley, the surviving spouse of CWO3 Donovan Lee ‘Bull’ Briley, an Army Special Operations Blackhawk helicopter pilot who tragically lost his life in Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Gothic Serpent (commonly known as the Black Hawk Down incident) in 1993. The bill is also named after Army veteran Sergeant Eric Edmundson, Eric’s Humvee was hit by an IED on October 2, 2005, in Iraq. Eric sustained lifechanging injuries – including an anoxic brain injury – which changed the course of his life by ending his ability to speak or walk. Despite these challenges, Eric continues to lead a full life through enhanced medical technology and therapy. To read more about Sharri’s story, click here. To read more about Eric’s story of service and his life today, click here.

 

H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, would increase VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit to:

 

• DIC currently provides only $1,650 per month. For the next five years, this bill would increase DIC by an additional 1% each year on top of inflation, helping over 500,000 families with their living expenses.
   
• The bill would also significantly raise the monthly benefits rate for catastrophically service-connected disabled veterans with a traumatic brain injury or other severe disabilities that require regular, round the clock, in-home medical care, offering an additional $10,000 annually. The first significant increase for this cohort of veterans in decades. To learn more about the bill, click here. Bill text can be found here.

 

“Veteran families like the Briley’s and the Edmundson’s – and the thousands more like them – who have given so much in exchange for their service in uniform have not seen a meaningful increase to their benefits in over 20 years. It’s time we changed that to grant this deserving group of American heroes the affordability they need to comfortably live their lives,” said Chairman Bost. “The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, led by my friend, Rep. Barrett, would provide a needed increase in the benefits disabled veterans, veterans’ survivors, and their families rely on to cover therapy costs, pay the bills, and make ends meet. This bill would answer the call to try and repay the debt we owe in exchange for the sacrifices thousands of military families have made. I look forward to moving this bill through the House swiftly on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of members of our veteran community who would benefit from it.”

 

“We can never repay the debt we owe to the men and women who sacrificed life and limb to defend our country, but that should never stop us from trying. This bill is about following through on our promises and making one of the most significant increases to benefits in more than two decades,” said Rep. Barrett. “Our disabled veterans and Gold Star families have already given more for our country than anyone should ever have to. We have an obligation to take care of them and to make sure survivors like Sharri Briley and veterans like Sgt. Eric Edmundson never again have to worry about their country showing up when they need it most.”

 

“I am proud to join this effort on behalf of families who have endured hardships in service to our nation that most of us will never know,” said House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill. “Donovan ‘Bull’ Briley’s name is well known in Arkansas, and the decision to name this bill, in part, for his wife, Sharri, is a fitting and heartfelt tribute to his memory and to her tireless advocacy on behalf of surviving spouses. Families like the Brileys and the Edmundsons show remarkable strength in the face of loss and catastrophic injury, and they deserve meaningful support. This bill takes an important step toward meeting that obligation.”

 

“This bill delivers long-overdue, commonsense increases for catastrophically injured heroes, surviving spouses, and families who have gone decades without meaningful updates,” said Rep. Hudson. “Military and veteran families have sacrificed more than most Americans will ever know, and they should never have to worry about receiving the support they deserve.  I’m proud to support this measure and help deliver real stability, real support, and the benefits our veterans and their loved ones have earned.”

 

“For over two decades, far too many veteran families have been left behind to face economic peril due to a lack of an increase in VA benefits. It’s our duty to support these heroes and their loved ones and ensure they receive the assistance they’ve rightfully earned,” said Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Chairman Luttrell. “As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, I am thankful for Rep. Tom Barrett’s efforts standing up for our veterans and their families with this important legislation.”

 

H.R. 6047 is named after and supported by two proud Americans – Sharri Briley, the surviving spouse of Army veteran CW3 Donovan ‘Bull’ Briley – and catastrophically disabled Army veteran, Sergeant Eric Edmundson.

 

"This bill is more than legislation to me; it is a promise kept," said Sharri Briley, surviving spouse of CW3 Donovan ‘Bull’ Briley. "For thirty-two years, I have lived with the loss of my husband, Donovan, and I have seen firsthand how surviving families continue to bear the cost of war. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act honors that sacrifice by providing real, tangible support to survivors and catastrophically disabled veterans. It shows that our nation hears us, sees us, values us, and will stand by us just as our loved ones stood for their country."

 

“This Act is recognition of the veterans and families who wake up each morning adjusting to the long-term consequences of service,” said Edgar Edmundson, father of Sgt (Ret) Eric Edmundson. “The increase in benefits provided by the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act are not optional — they are essential. Our veterans’ needs evolve as they age, and our support must evolve with them. This legislation ensures that injured veterans and surviving families are not left struggling to meet changing realities alone.”

 

H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, is supported by the following veteran service organizations (VSOs) and stakeholders: The American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), AMVETS, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Gold Star Spouses of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart USA, Independence Fund, National Military Family Association (NMFA), Gold Star Wives, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO), Quality of Life Foundation, and Veterans MS Alliance.

 

The American Legion

“The American Legion supports the proposed Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. If passed, the bill would see Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and Special Monthly Compensation increase for the first time in decades. This would help veteran families and caregivers maintain financial stability and peace of mind during the veteran’s life and beyond. Although The Legion supports the overall package, we are concerned the proposed offset could bring unintended consequences. The reality is that increasing funding fees for VA home loans has been the only mechanism to pay for new or increased veteran-related programs in past years. But expanding the population of veterans required to pay funding fees on subsequent VA Home Loans sets a new precedent. The American Legion is committed to working with Congress to improve the bill as it moves through the legislative process. We have long advocated for increases to DIC & SMC pay and don’t want to see this opportunity wasted.” – Mario A. Marquez, Executive Director of Government Affairs, The American Legion.

 

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)

“Wounded Warrior Project commends Congress for recognizing the needs of our most severely wounded veterans and the survivors of those who died from service-connected injuries.  We support provisions of the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, specifically its proposals to increase Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) by $10,000 per year and to increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) by 0.5% annually (plus COLA) which are important and much-needed steps. These changes would provide meaningful financial support to those who have sacrificed the most. We are committed to working with Congress to ensure that veterans’ interests are protected and strongly considered as the provisions to fund these improvements are finalized.”

 

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)

“No one appreciates the full scope of benefits provided by the VA more than our nation’s paralyzed veterans. Living with significant disabilities is not just difficult, it’s costly, and there are a wide range of additional expenses that can significantly impact a person's financial well-being. PVA supports this effort to increase the amounts of Special Monthly Compensation for veterans with service-connected catastrophic disabilities and raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for survivors. We thank Rep. Barrett for introducing this bill and appreciate his efforts to address the needs of veterans with significant disabilities and their families.”

 

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)

“For more than 30 years, surviving spouses and severely disabled veterans have been left behind by outdated benefit structures. The Vietnam Veterans of America stands firmly behind this legislation, which honors the legacy of sacrifice by ensuring survivors, dependents, and catastrophically injured veterans finally see the benefits expansion they deserve.” - Thomas Burke, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America.

 

AMVETS

"AMVETS is pleased to support the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. For several years, AMVETS has made the expansion of survivor benefits a top legislative priority. This bill represents meaningful progress, and we look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the families of our fallen heroes, our most severely disabled veterans, and their caregivers receive the benefits they have earned through sacrifice and service." – Joe Chenelly, National Executive Director, AMVETS.

 

Elizabeth Dole Foundation (EDF)

“The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act is a landmark measure to support America’s most vulnerable veterans and their hidden heroes – the caregivers who stand by them every day. Too many veteran families face a devastating financial cliff when their loved one passes away, and too many catastrophically injured veterans and their families shoulder impossible costs without adequate support. This legislation recognizes their sacrifice and offers a long overdue first step to providing the relief, stability, and dignity they have long deserved.” – Steve Schwab, CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

 

Gold Star Spouses of America

"Gold Star Spouses of America proudly supports the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. For too long, the families of America’s fallen heroes and catastrophically injured veterans have been left behind without meaningful increases in benefits. We are especially proud that Sharri Briley, a dedicated member of our organization, has lent her name and her voice to this effort. By expanding support for surviving spouses, caregivers, and severely disabled veterans, Congress has the opportunity to deliver long-overdue relief to more than 700,000 families who have given everything in service to this nation. We urge swift passage of this historic legislation to ensure that no survivor or family ever has to wonder if their sacrifice has been forgotten." – Tamra Sipes, National President, Gold Star Spouses of America.

 

Military Order of the Purple Heart USA

“This legislation finally delivers long-overdue justice for the families of our fallen heroes and the caregivers of our catastrophically injured veterans. The Brileys, the Edmundsons, and thousands of others have carried the weight of sacrifice for decades. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act ensures they receive the support and dignity they have earned.” – James McCormick, Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart USA.

 

Independence Fund

"The Independence Fund supports the passage of the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025. Passage of this legislation will reduce the financial burden catastrophically disabled veterans and surviving spouses often face by increasing the amount of Special Monthly Compensation and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation veterans and survivors can receive."

 

National Military Family Association (NMFA)

“Our most severely wounded service members have already sacrificed enough for this country; they shouldn't have to fight another battle just to make ends meet. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act is a long overdue step to help ensure our catastrophically injured veterans and their surviving family members receive the support they've earned. This Act is about more than legislation — it’s a promise kept to America’s most severely wounded veterans, their caregivers, and survivors,” – Besa Pinchotti, CEO, National Military Family Association.

Gold Star Wives

“Gold Star Wives of America has been fighting to make DIC a meaningful survivor benefit for widows, widowers and their children for decades. We are thankful for Representative Barrett’s bill which would take an important first step toward that goal.

National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO)

“The National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) is proud to support Congressman Tom Barrett’s legislation that seeks to improve benefits for surviving families and catastrophically injured veterans. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefit Expansion Act would increase the benefit amount that a veteran’s surviving dependent receives when that veteran dies from a service-related injury or illness. Unfortunately, surviving families are all to often forgotten, which is evidenced by the fact this benefit has not been increased outside of inflation since 1993. As a county we not only have an obligation to “care for him who shall have borne the battle” but also for their “widow, and his orphan”. NACVSO appreciates Congressman Barrett’s leadership on this, and we hope this commonsense legislation passes without issue.”

 

Quality of Life Foundation

"Quality of Life Foundation is proud to express our strong support for the passage of the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. This critical legislation would enhance and expand survivors’ benefits, addressing longstanding disparities between VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program and other federal survivors’ programs. Many of the caregivers we serve are eligible for DIC after the veteran they care for passes away; however, this benefit has not historically matched the level of support provided through other federal programs. We commend the Department of Veterans Affairs and members of Congress for recognizing this inequity and taking action to correct it. Furthermore, veterans living with catastrophic traumatic brain injuries, along with their caregivers, often incur substantial out-of-pocket expenses each year. The increased compensation provided by this legislation would directly offset those costs and significantly improve the quality of life for these families. For these reasons, the Quality of Life Foundation wholeheartedly supports the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act and urges its swift passage."

 

Veterans MS Alliance

“The Veterans MS Alliance is proud to support the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. For too long, catastrophically injured veterans, their caregivers, and surviving families have faced immense challenges without the resources they deserve. This bill will help deliver meaningful support and relief, ensuring veterans and their loved ones can live with dignity. As an organization committed to supporting veterans living with multiple sclerosis and other life-changing conditions, we see this legislation as a critical step in honoring their service and strengthening the systems meant to care for them."

Original Link: https://veterans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7787%23

News 12 Staff

Nov 17, 2025, 7:07 AM

The Exemptions apply to a primary residence or to one vehicle if the veteran does not own a home, and they extend to surviving spouses.

Connecticut veterans are learning about new property tax benefits that could save them money.

State Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox says she is meeting with veterans this month to explain newly available property tax exemptions for those with a permanent, total disability rating of 100%.

The exemptions apply to a primary residence or to one vehicle if the veteran does not own a home, and they extend to surviving spouses.

Original Article: https://connecticut.news12.com/new-property-tax-exemptions-available-for-ct-disabled-veterans

Surviving spouses of military members killed in action can't get remarried without losing their benefits.

By Jennifer Barnhill

Published Nov 8, 2025 5:00 AM PST

When I first began reporting on military families, I truly believed that our community “took care of its own.” But this assumption began to unravel as I learned how our community treats military survivors—the families whose service members lost their lives in service to this country. 

Read Next: The first head of the VA was so corrupt, President Harding tried to kill him

“When Gus and I decided to get married, I knew that I would lose my benefits,” said Krista Simpson Anderson, whose husband, Army Staff Sgt. Michael Simpson, died after being critically wounded by an improvised explosive device in April 2013. “A lot of people were like, ‘you’re going to lose your benefits just live together.’ And that just wasn’t an option…my children were young, and that’s not what I believed from a faith perspective.”

Krista, like many military spouses, didn’t have a career to fall back on when Michael died. Professionally, she was behind her civilian peers, having suffered unrecoverable economic losses, losses that average roughly half a million dollars over the course of a 20-year career. She was faced with reentering the workforce while navigating her own grief and the grief of her two bereaved sons. She relied upon survivor benefits to make up the economic losses she had suffered as an active-duty spouse. They couldn’t bring Michael back, but they kept the lights on and food on the table.

Krista, like many military spouses, didn’t have a career to fall back on when Michael died. Professionally, she was behind her civilian peers, having suffered unrecoverable economic losses, losses that average roughly half a million dollars over the course of a 20-year career. She was faced with reentering the workforce while navigating her own grief and the grief of her two bereaved sons. She relied upon survivor benefits to make up the economic losses she had suffered as an active-duty spouse. They couldn’t bring Michael back, but they kept the lights on and food on the table.

According to current law, if a Gold Star or surviving spouse remarries before the age of fifty-five, they will lose their survivor benefits, including SBP, DIC, Tricare health coverage, access to VA home loans, and much more. The average total loss amounts to roughly $4,000 in payments per month plus benefits. This is referred to as the “remarriage penalty”. 

This legislation was written at a time when women were not legally permitted to hold credit cards or take out loans without a male sponsor. The assumption was that if a widow remarried, her new husband would take over the role of provider. That assumption no longer fits the reality of modern families—and certainly not the reality of military spouses, who often juggle caregiving, unemployment and multiple relocations while their partners serve. 

“When an 18-year-old enlists in the military, they are promised that their family will be taken care of for the rest of their lives,” said Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann, Director, Government and Legislative Affairs for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and the surviving daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey and Air Force Senior Airman Nichole Haycock. “The current law breaks that promise.”

So survivors are left to decide between financial stability or emotional stability.

So instead of losing all her benefits immediately, she transferred them to her children, who are about to age out of being eligible to collect them. Other surviving spouses may not have children to pass benefits to, while others choose not to get remarried, but live in limbo.

“In February of 2014, right before Valentine’s Day, I got my first letter asking me to verify that I had not remarried,” said Marcie Robertson, whose husband, Army Sgt. 1st Class Forrest Robertson, was killed in Afghanistan. “It was a reminder that if I ever wanted to, my happiness would cost me.” The currently VA sends survivors a letter on the anniversary of the death of their loved one, asking them to reaffirm their marital status, to ensure they are still eligible for benefits. 

According to advocates, the average age of a surviving spouse is around 25. That means they would need to wait 30 years before they could remarry without penalty. It’s no wonder that only about 5% of surviving spouses under 55 actually do. 

“No survivor should have to choose between remarrying or retaining essential benefits to support their family after losing their servicemember or veteran spouse,” said Kentucky Sen. Jerry Moran via email. “That is why I introduced the Love Lives On Act, to allow surviving spouses to retain these benefits upon remarriage regardless of age. A survivor who remarries is still a survivor, and military service is, and always will be, a family service.”

Senator Moran shared that while parts of the Love Lives On Act have found their way into the FY2024 defense bill as well as the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025, “but the work is not done, and I will continue working to make certain the full legislation is considered by the full Senate.”

Sadly, fighting bureaucracy is not new to survivors; they have been fighting for earned benefits for 40 years. 

Widow’s Tax 101

I first heard the name Theresa Jones after my husband and I arrived at our new duty station in Atsugi, Japan. We arrived as the Jones family left. I heard stories about how fun Theresa and her husband, Landon, were and how they were missed by our new community. The next time I heard Theresa’s name it was for the worst possible reason.

On Sept. 22, 2013, Landon’s MH60-S helicopter suffered a catastrophic accident and fell into the Red Sea, resulting in the deaths of both Landon and his copilot, Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Gibson. 

Theresa learned of Landon’s death while she was scrolling Facebook. An official notification from the Navy’s casualty assistance officer, called a CACO, soon followed. She was making significant financial decisions about survivor benefits on the worst day of her life. And Theresa was not the only surviving spouse I met who was simultaneously combating grief and bureaucracy.

At that time, survivors were subject to something known as the “widow’s tax”, officially called the SBP-DIC offset. The offset essentially withheld survivor benefits, based on a policy that said survivors could not be paid twice for the same reason. Instead of getting the full Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments, the government “offset” or withheld some of the payments.

The reality was survivors were not double-dipping; they were simply trying to collect earned benefits that were for different things. Survivors and advocates got Congress to “axe the tax” in December 2019, and it was fully repealed by 2023. 

Two of the chief architects of repealing the offset were Kathy Prout and Edith Smith, who organized survivors, getting them to tell their stories to inspire and inform policy changes. They made phone trees and lists of who to call and when. They even had a uniform of sorts and would march through Capitol Hill wearing yellow hats to be instantly recognizable as a representative of the survivor community.

Their grassroots efforts were amplified by nonprofits like TAPS and the National Military Family Association (NMFA) and political leaders, like Sen. Doug Jones, who was willing to take up their cause. 

Survivors didn’t achieve this victory after 40 years because the system suddenly became compassionate. They won because they refused to be invisible and were willing to fight to change the broken system for those who come after them. 

Now, it’s our turn to step up—so no survivor ever has to choose between love and security again.

Learn more about the history of how survivors have fought to ensure that America honors its promise to care for the families of the fallen in my book, “The Military Stories You’ve Been Told and the Ones You Need to Hear.”

Original Article: https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-milspouse/law-says-military-survivors-can-have-love-or-security-but-not-both/

By FOX Texas Digital

Updated  November 4, 2025 10:33pm CST

The Brief

• Texas voters are on track to allow additional homestead tax breaks for surviving spouses of U.S. veterans whose death was related to their service.
• According to the fiscal note on the bill, around 3,000 surviving spouses would be eligible.

Surviving spouses of Texas veterans that died from a service-connected illness approved a larger break on their homestead exemption.

Texas voters were asked to vote on Proposition 7 on Tuesday, which would give property tax breaks on homes to spouses of U.S. veterans who have not remarried. The federal government would have to determine whether the veteran died in connection with their service.

Ballot language:

"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed under federal law to have been service-connected."

According to the bill's financial report, around 3,000 surviving spouses in the state would qualify for the exemption.

Homeestead Exempt. for Vet's Surviving Spouse Texas - Proposition 7

Votes%

FOR 2,542,959 86%

AGAINST 405,386 14%

Original Article: https://www.fox26houston.com/election/texas-proposition-7-election-results-2025