Filing an Online
Dependency Claim
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Am I eligible to add
dependents to my VA
compensation benets?
If you have a 30% or higher disability rating
from VA, you can add your dependents
to your disability compensation benets.
Adding dependents to your benets
means you may be eligible for a higher
disability payment, also known as a
“benet rate.”
Q: Who is considered a
“dependent?”
Dependents you can add to your benets
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
enrolled in school full time, or
• Who were seriously disabled
before the age of 18
• Parents, whose income and net worth
are below the limit set by the law
NOTE: parents and spouses in common law
marriages, cannot be added to your benets
online through eBenets. See answer to
“How to add a dependent” for more
information.
Q: How do I add a dependent?
If you haven’t submitted a claim for disability compensation yet,
you can add your dependent(s) as part of the claim application
process. If VA rates your disability at 30% or higher, your
dependent(s) will automatically be factored into your award.
If you’ve already submitted your claim and have received a 30%
or higher disability rating, the fastest way to add a dependent is
online through eBenets (www.ebenets.va.gov). Submitting an
electronic dependency claim through eBenets allows VA to make
a decision on your claim in as little as 48 hours.
Simply log into eBenets and click “Add or Remove Dependent”
under the Apply section. You must have a Premium eBenets
account to le your claim online. If you need help ling your
electronic claim, you can also work with an accredited Veterans
Service Organization (VSO) who can answer questions or submit
the claim on your behalf.
Currently, you cannot add parents or spouses through common
law marriages as dependents through eBenets. To add a parent
as a dependent, you must ll out VA Form 21-509, Statement of
Dependency of Parent(s). To add a spouse from a common-law
marriage as a dependent, you must ll out VA Form 21-686c,
Declaration of Status of Dependents.
Q: Why is it better to le my dependency claim
online vs. paper?
VA can process electronic dependency claims much faster than
paper claims thanks to a new automated processing system. In
some cases, ling a dependency claim online through eBenets
could get you a decision in as little as 48 hours.
The online claim application is simple and easy to understand.
While paper claims require you to ll out multiple forms,
everything VA needs to make a decision is included in one online
application. You can also easily upload any supporting documents
VA needs to validate your claim right in eBenets, such as
adoption papers and medical records.
Filing your claim online also allows you to save the day you
start your claim as the eective date for your benets if your
dependency claim is awarded.
FILING AN ONLINE DEPENDENCY CLAIM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What should I do if I already submitted a
paper claim to add a dependent and am still
waiting for a decision?
If you’ve already submitted a paper dependency claim
and haven’t received a decision from VA, you can still
submit a claim online. If awarded, you can start seeing
your benets sooner. Your paper claim will still be reviewed,
and VA will evaluate both the paper and online claim
applications. You will be paid back from the date your
initial paper claim was submitted.
Q: How do I know if I’m already receiving
compensation for my dependents?
If you’re not sure whether you’re already being paid for
your dependents, the easiest thing to do is check eBenets.
Log into your eBenets account and click the “Dependents”
link under the “My Prole” section. If your dependents are
already listed there, you should be receiving compensation
for them. If they’re not listed, le your online dependency
claim through eBenets as soon as possible.
Q: What happens if I get divorced or need to
remove a dependent?
The easiest way to remove a dependent is online through
eBenets. It will take longer for VA to process a claim
to remove a child compared to removing a spouse, but
submitting your information online is still much faster than
submitting a paper claim. If you get divorced and need to
remove your spouse, VA recommends you submit a claim to
remove a dependent as soon as possible. You do not have to
submit or upload the supporting paperwork into eBenets.
If VA nds that you continued to receive compensation for
a former spouse or dependent stepchild of that former
spouse without notifying VA, it could signicantly impact
your future benets payments. VA would work with the
Debt Management Center (DMC) to collect the money
back that was paid out incorrectly, usually by withholding
a certain amount from your monthly checks until the full
amount is paid.
Q: Do I have to remove my child from my
compensation benets once they are too old
to be claimed as a dependent?
No, VA will track your child’s age based on the date of birth
you provide when ling your dependency claim. When your
child turns 18, they will be removed from your disability
compensation if they are not attending school.
Q: I didn’t know I could add dependents to
my disability compensation benets. Do I get
paid back to the date my spouse and I got
married and when my children were born?
VA may pay you back to the date of your marriage or the
birth of your child if you had already received your 30% or
higher disability rating at that point and:
• Notied VA within one year of the date the
dependency arose, and
• Responded within one year to VA’s request for
any additional information needed to conrm
your dependent(s)
If it has been longer than a year since your marriage and/or
birth of your child, VA may only pay you back to the date you
submitted your dependency claim or, in some cases, only up
to one year before you submitted your dependency claim.
Q: How will VA know not to remove my child
from my benets if they turn 18 but are still
in school? Do I have to reapply?
If your child is turning 18 and will still be in school
(either high school or college), you can update their
school information in eBenets. Simply log into your
eBenets account, click “Add or Remove Dependents”
under the “Apply” section on the home page, and select
“Update Dependents.”
Q: What if my spouse is also a Veteran with a
30% or higher disability rating? Can we claim
each other and our children? Or should only
one of us add them as dependents?
Both you and your spouse can claim each other and your
children if you are both Veterans with a 30% or higher
disability rating. However, claiming a dependent spouse
who is also a Veteran will take longer for VA to process. You
should still submit your claim online through eBenets
to get the fastest decision possible. Filing online will also
ensure you get paid back to the date you submitted your
claim, if awarded.
For more information | www.benets.va.gov/compensation/add-dependents.asp 1-800-827-1000