The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that they will be moving the VA’s Office of Survivors Assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration to the Office of the VA Secretary, and are actively looking to identify areas where automation can be used to expedite Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims.1
They also noted they will create a white-glove survivor outreach team, based out of the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office, to guide and assist eligible survivors throughout their DIC claims process, with the aim to reduce “frustrating red tape and bureaucracy,” VA Secretary Doug Collins noted in a statement that announced the changes.
Under previous administrations, there were gaps in the survivor claims system and no defined outreach process for VA employees to gather information from survivors navigating the benefit process, according to the statement.
VA now automates more than 1000 DIC claims payments or adjustments per day and is in the process of ongoing efforts to increase automation that will expedite survivors’ claims and improve their experience. VA will also be identifying additional areas where automation can be used to make all benefits delivery processes easier to navigate for eligible surviving dependents.
Reference
- Veterans Affairs. VA announces major survivor benefits reforms. May 5, 2025. Accessed May 28, 2025. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-announces-major-survivor-benefits-reforms/