ACTION REQUESTED-LETTER FOR MOAA MEMBERS TO USE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC OPINION TO FEDERAL LEGISLATORS ON PROPOSED VA BENEFITS

Please cut and paste the verbiage below to comment on proposed changes to VA benefits. Comments will be received at this website until 24 August 2026. Share this with other veterans’ organizations you belong to, so the word gets out enabling additional responses, so the federal government knows we are a large constituency!

This is the website: Submit Opinion on Federal Register Website

Background:

 VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly tax-free compensation paid by the VA to eligible surviving spouses, children and, in some cases, parents of deceased Servicemembers and Veterans. Eligibility is determined by the VA when a Veteran’s death is determined to be service connected.

 Eligible survivors must apply, and the VA reviews and hopefully approves the application.

 Currently, DIC payment for an eligible spouse is $1,678 with annual COLAs.

 Under the current formula, DIC is approximately 43% of the monthly compensation paid to a Veteran rated 100% disabled. Pending legislation would raise that to 55%, an increase of about $468 per month, or $5,616 a year for eligible survivors (tax free)!

 Your comment on the website becomes part of the official record and helps demonstrate to the VA and Congress the importance of this issue to eligible surviving military families. Whether you are affected by this proposal or not, your comments as a veteran, spouse or civilian MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE ACT NOW!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT ON THE WEBSITE

 When you get on the website, click on the green words that says, “SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT”.

 It will take you to a page where you can upload or enter your comment or use the verbiage suggested below (the cut and paste method from this article or from your hard drive). Once you do, in other fields, it will ask you to leave your email address, and if you represent an individual, organization or are anonymous. You will then need to check a box indicating you understand that your comments are publicly viewable.

 Then you “SUBMIT” your comment. That’s it! As of 9 July, there have only been 5 comments submitted, so let’s all get busy! See below for proposed comments (which you can modify to your liking)!

PROPOSED COMMENTS:

I am commenting on a proposal that would increase VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for current and future eligible recipients of same. The proposal would increase DIC for an eligible surviving spouse from about $1,678 (with annual COLA adjustments) to about $2,146 a month (or an approximate increase of $5,616 a year.)

Having said that, I strongly support this initiative. It is the right thing to do!

In this pivotal year for our nation’s servicemembers and veterans, MOAA remains at the forefront in the fight for key legislative changes. Our spring campaign event, Advocacy in Action, saw hundreds of supporters from across the nation gathering on Capitol Hill to spotlight critical issues affecting the uniformed services and veteran communities.

MOAA is grateful to you and others who have engaged in our advocacy efforts through MOAA’s Legislative Action Center. To sustain this momentum, we are urging you and our more than 360,000 members to engage with elected officials during the congressional summer recess. Legislators will be in their home states for the next month, providing a unique opportunity for personal outreach.

Key MOAA advocacy priorities:

• Junior Enlisted Pay Raise: Competitive pay remains critical to the health of the all-volunteer force, and both the House and the Senate seek to address this issue in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House NDAA calls for servicemembers E-1 to E-4 to receive a 15% pay raise beyond the 4.5% earmarked for all in uniform. While the Senate version calls for an additional 1% increase for servicemembers E-1 to E-3 (beyond the 4.5% raise).

• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Restoration: Access to quality housing and promoting financial wellness are important to sustaining the all-volunteer force. Restoring BAH addresses both issues. The House version of the NDAA would restore BAH to 100% for FY 2025 – a move toward MOAA’s goal of full repeal of the BAH reduction, but not a permanent fix. Unfortunately, the Senate version does not address the issue.

• Major Richard Star Act: Tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans lose a dollar of earned DoD retirement pay for every dollar of VA disability compensation. For three years in a row, over two-thirds of Congress has supported the Star Act, which would end that unjust financial offset. Despite this vast support, neither version of the NDAA includes the bill. However, it is critical lawmakers continue to hear about this important issue, especially as we approach the start of the 119th Congress.

Take Action Now

Your participation amplifies our collective voice in shaping policies that support our nation’s servicemembers past and present, and their families. Thank you for your continued dedication to MOAA’s mission.

Best Regards,

Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret)

Vice President, Government Relations

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

201 N Washington Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

800.234.6622

www.moaa.org

NEVER STOP SERVING.®