Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, delivers remarks during a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Gold Star Spouses of America urged lawmakers to pass three separate bills that would provide critical assistance to families of fallen service members and veterans who were catastrophically disabled or who died from their service-connected conditions.
Tamra Sipes, national president of the nonprofit Gold Star Spouses, testified Tuesday that pensions, indemnity and dependency payouts administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs often determine if a widowed spouse can remain financially stable after the death of a service member or veteran.
“While their spouses wore the uniform, they carried the weight of service at home and now carry the lifelong responsibility of preserving their legacy while rebuilding their own lives,” Sipes said at a hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, the subcommittee chairman, said that the assistance is meant “to make life more affordable” for grieving families who’ve lost a veteran or service member.
“For some, this is what keeps the lights on,” Luttrell, a retired Navy SEAL veteran, said at the two-panel hearing, which examined delivery of pensions, survivor benefits and life insurance payouts.
He urged VA officials to continue to provide paper responses by mail to widowed spouses, many of whom are elderly and may not routinely use the internet.
“Having better communication is one of the most pressing issues,” Sipes said.
Many Gold Star members are confused about how the compensation programs work, Sipes said.
She raised concerns about the rules for obtaining dependency and indemnity compensation, known as DIC, and survivors’ pensions.
DIC is a primary benefit for qualifying widowed spouses and dependents that is paid out after a service-connected death.
Survivors’ pensions are for the widowed spouses of wartime veterans whose deaths were not service-related. But there are income-based criteria for recipients, Sipes said.
Clearer explanations about income thresholds and how income is calculated would enable applicants to better understand their eligibility, Sipes said.
Sipes said that the “threshold sits significantly below the 2026 federal poverty level of $15,960 for a single-person household, effectively excluding thousands of survivors who are struggling financially but do not meet this restrictive definition of indigence.”
“You have to be destitute,” Sipes said.
Gold Star Spouses said it recognizes that the VA has taken steps to automatically consider applicants for DIC and survivors’ pensions.
Jennifer Bover, left, executive director of pension and fiduciary service at the Veterans Benefits Administration, and Tim Sirhal, acting principal deputy under secretary for benefits, are sworn in during a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
Jennifer Bover, executive director of pension and fiduciary service at the Veterans Benefits Administration, said that in many cases the VA is able to provide widowed spouses with benefits in a matter of days after a service-connected death is reported.
“While this is a positive development, many survivors remain unaware that this review is taking place and would benefit from clearer communication about how their claims are being evaluated,” Sipes said.
Gold Star Families urged lawmakers to act on key bills — the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, the Caring for Survivors Act and the Love Lives On Act.
• The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act would award an additional $10,000 each year to veterans with traumatic brain injuries, paralysis and other catastrophic disabilities related to military service.
It also would increase benefits by 1% a year for the next five years for the spouses of service members killed in the line of duty or who died from their injuries.
The bill is pending a House vote, after advancing from committee review.
• The Caring for Survivors Act increases the monthly DIC rate, according to the language in the bill.
DIC compensation represents monthly payments to eligible survivors — including the spouses, parents and children of service members who died on active duty and veterans who died from a service-connected condition.
It is not exclusively for wartime veterans but rather for service-connected deaths, according to the VA.
The compensation is also paid to qualifying veterans determined to be totally disabled from a service-connected condition for a certain period of time, according to the bill.
The Caring for Survivors Act is pending a committee review.
• The Love Lives On Act removes financial penalties for widowed spouses who remarry.
Under current law, surviving spouses who remarry before the age of 55 lose access to certain benefits, according to lawmakers.
The loss of benefits is referred to as a marriage penalty.
The legislation is designed to allow surviving spouses, regardless of age, who marry again to continue to receive dependency and indemnity compensation as well as survivor benefit plan annuities, according to the bill.
The bill is pending votes in the House and Senate.
