[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7553-7554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02243]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Cost of Living Adjustments

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 2022, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is 
hereby giving notice of Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) in certain 
benefit rates. These COLAs affect the Dependency and Indemnity 
Compensation (DIC) program. The amount of the adjustment is tied to the 
increase in Social Security benefits, effective December 1, 2022, as 
announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA has 
announced an increase of 8.7%.

DATES: The Cost-of-Living Adjustments became effective December 1, 
2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Baltimore, Program Analyst, 
Pension and Fiduciary Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20420, 202-632-8862. (This is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the provisions of Public Law 117-191, 
VA is required to increase, effective December 1, 2022, the benefit 
rates for surviving spouses and children under the DIC program by the 
same percentage as increases in the benefit amounts payable under title 
II of the Social Security Act. VA is required to publish notice of the 
increased rates in the Federal Register.
    SSA has announced an 8.7% COLA increase in Social Security 
benefits, effective December 1, 2022. Therefore, applying the same 
percentage, the following increased rates for the DIC program became 
effective December 1, 2022:

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Monthly Payment Rates

DIC Payable to a Surviving Spouse--Veteran Death on or After January 1, 
1993

    Basic Monthly Rate: $1,562.74.
    If at the time of the Veteran's death, the Veteran was in receipt 
of or entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected 
disability rated totally disabling (including a rating based on 
individual unemployability) for a continuous period of at least 8 years 
immediately preceding death and the surviving spouse was married to the 
Veteran for those same 8 years, add: $331.84.
    For each dependent child under the age of 18, add: $387.15.
    If the surviving spouse is entitled to Aid and Attendance benefits, 
add $387.15.
    If the surviving spouse is entitled to Housebound benefits, add 
$181.37.
    If the surviving spouse has one or more children under the age of 
18 on the award per 38 U.S.C. 1311(f), add the 2-year transitional 
benefit of $332.00.

DIC Payable to a Surviving Spouse--Veteran Death Prior to January 1, 
1993

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Amount
                      Veteran paygrade                         payable
------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-1(f).....................................................    $1,562.74
E-2(f).....................................................     1,562.74
E-3(a,f)...................................................     1,562.74
E-4(f).....................................................     1,562.74
E-5(f).....................................................     1,562.74
E-6(f).....................................................     1,562.74
E-7(g).....................................................     1,616.75
E-8(g).....................................................     1,706.81
E-9(g).....................................................     1,780.11
E-9(b).....................................................     1,921.60
W-1(g).....................................................     1,650.22
W-2(g).....................................................     1,715.80
W-3(g).....................................................     1,765.96
W-4(g).....................................................     1,868.86
O-1(g).....................................................     1,650.22
O-2(g).....................................................     1,706.81
O-3(g).....................................................     1,823.83
O-4........................................................     1,933.15
O-5........................................................     2,127.39
O-6........................................................     2,398.79
O-7........................................................     2,589.11
O-8........................................................     2,843.81
O-9........................................................     3,041.87
O-10.......................................................     3,336.41
O-10(c)....................................................     3,580.80
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (a) Surviving spouse of Aviation Cadet or other service not covered 
by this table is paid the DIC rate for enlisted E-3.
    (b) Veteran who served as Sergeant Major of the Army or Marine 
Corps, Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Navy, Chief Master Sergeant of 
the Air Force, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, or Master Chief 
Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.

[[Page 7554]]

    (c) Veteran who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
Chief of Staff of the Army or Air Force, Chief of Naval Operations, 
Commandant of the Marine Corps, or as Commandant of the Coast Guard.
    (d) If surviving spouse entitled to Aid and Attendance, add 
$387.15; if entitled to Housebound, add $181.37.
    (e) Add $387.15 for each child under 18.
    (f) Add $331.84 if Veteran rated totally disabled for 8 continuous 
years prior to death and surviving spouse was married to Veteran those 
same 8 years.
    (g) Base rate is $1,894.58 if Veteran rated totally disabled 8 
continuous years prior to death and surviving spouse was married to 
Veteran those same 8 years.

DIC Payable to Children

Surviving Spouse Entitled
    For each child over the age of 18 who is attending an approved 
course of education, the rate is $327.99.
    For each child over the age of 18 who is helpless, the rate is 
$659.83.
No Surviving Spouse Entitled

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Each child's
           Number of children              Total payable       share
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......................................         $659.83         $659.83
2.......................................          949.21          474.61
3.......................................       $1,238.63         $412.88
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For each additional child, add $235.38 to the total payable amount 
to be paid in equal shares to each child.
    For each additional helpless child over 18, add $387.15 to the 
amount payable to the helpless child.

Signing Authority

    Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this 
document on January 25, 2023, and authorized the undersigned to sign 
and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for 
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.

Luvenia Potts,
Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy & 
Management, Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-02243 Filed 2-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P