Preparing for the worst – Part 1: Casualty Assistance Published March 15, 2011 By 2nd Lt. Laura Balch Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Accidents happen. Illnesses spread. In one moment, a worst nightmare can come true. How it will come to pass is unknown, but at one point in everyone's life, death will come. And while every individual may prepare for that day in his or her own way, there is something all military members can do now that will help their family and friends better deal with their loss. By updating the Virtual Record of Emergency Data, Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and DEERS forms, a military member can ensure that in the event of his or her death the correct person will receive the appropriate entitlements as authorized. Single military members can name beneficiaries for the following entitlements if applicable: Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, death gratuity, unpaid pay and allowances, Thrift Savings Plan and the Montgomery GI Bill/Veterans Educational Assistance Program. Married military members and members with dependents can name beneficiaries for the entitlements listed above as well as the following entitlements if applicable: Base Allowance for Housing, survivor benefit plan, dependency and indemnity compensation, social security administration assistance and Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. It takes a few minutes to update the VRED, SGLI and DEERS forms, but doing so will save the surviving family members and friends from a number of potential conflicts and will guarantee that a military member's intentions are met. Below is a basic description of each of these entitlements. For more information, contact Leon Spratley or Mel Lewis in the casualty assistance office at 652-9428 or 652-5972. SGLI: -All military members are initially signed up for $400,000 life insurance coverage. -A military member can choose to have a lesser amount or can decline coverage, but must do so in writing. -A military member can designate a beneficiary, or multiple beneficiaries, to receive this money upon the military member's death. -If a military member designates more than one beneficiary, the military member can designate the amount given to each beneficiary. -A military member should make sure to list any SGLI beneficiaries on his/her VRED form to insure the casualty assistance office is able to contact the beneficiaries when necessary. DEATH GRATUITY: -A military member can designate a beneficiary, or multiple beneficiaries, on the VRED form to receive this money. -This is an automatic $100,000 payment that is given to the designated beneficiary (or split between multiple designated beneficiaries) within 72 hours of the military member's death. -The purpose of this money is to help the beneficiaries pay for extraneous costs. UNPAID ALLOWANCES: -A military member can designate a beneficiary on the VRED form to receive this money. -This is money that the government owed the military member (i.e. pay for leave days that were not used). THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN: -If a military member had been contributing to a TSP, this money will go to the beneficiary that the military member designated on the TSP Form 17. -If the military member did not designate a beneficiary on the TSP, then the TSP money goes to the person listed on the military member's VRED as the Unpaid Allowances beneficiary. MONTGOMERY GI BILL/VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: -If the military member is single and has been paying towards the Montgomery GI Bill, then the beneficiary, or beneficiaries, named in the member's SGLI form will receive the reimbursed Montgomery GI Bill money. -If the military member is married (with or without dependents) and has been paying towards the Montgomery GI Bill, then member's spouse and/or dependents may be eligible to use the Montgomery GI Bill (the spouse/dependents must meet certain qualifications). If the spouse or dependents are not eligible to use the Montgomery GI Bill, then the beneficiary, or beneficiaries, named in the member's SGLI form will receive the reimbursed Montgomery GI Bill money. BASE HOUSING ALLOWANCE: -A military member's spouse and dependents will receive BAH for 365 days after the military member's death, or the spouse and dependents can stay in base housing for 365 days after the military member's death at no cost. SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN: -This entitlement is only available if the military member's death occurred in the line of duty. -The military member's commander makes the LOD determination based on the results of an investigation. -If the military member had a minimum of 20 years of service or was retirement-eligible, then, most likely, LOD determination is not necessary; the spouse/dependents will qualify for the SBP entitlement in most cases. -If this entitlement is granted, 55 percent of what the military member's retirement pay would have been will go to the military member's spouse or dependents (the spouse decides which type of coverage); this money is taxable. -If the military member's spouse chooses SBP spouse-only coverage, the spouse will receive that retirement pay amount every month for the rest of his/her life, as long as the spouse does not remarry before the age of 55. -If the military member's spouse chooses SBP children-only coverage, the dependents will receive that retirement pay amount every month (the amount is divided between multiple dependents) until dependents turn 18 years old. If dependents attend college, they will continue to receive the SBP entitlement until they turn 23 years old. If dependents are handicapped and unmarried, they will receive the SBP entitlement for the rest of their lives. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION: -This entitlement is only available if member's death occurred in the line of duty. -The military member's commander makes the LOD determination based on the results of an investigation. -If the military member had a minimum of 20 years of service or was retirement-eligible, then, most likely, LOD determination is not necessary; the spouse/dependents will qualify for the DIC entitlement in most cases. -If this entitlement is granted, the military member's spouse or dependents will receive a flat monthly fee that is non-taxable (the spouse decides which type of coverage). The 2010 rate was $1,154 per month. The rate is adjusted annually to compensate for cost of living increases. -If the military member's spouse chooses DIC spouse-only coverage, the spouse will receive that DIC entitlement every month for the rest of his/her life, as long as the spouse does not remarry before the age of 57. -If the military member's spouse chooses DIC children-only coverage, the dependents will receive the DIC amount every month (amount is divided between multiple dependents) until dependents turn 18 years old. If dependents attend college, they will continue to receive the DIC entitlement until they turn 23 years old. If dependents are handicapped and unmarried, they will receive the DIC entitlement for the rest of their lives. Special note: A military member's spouse cannot receive the full SBP entitlement as well as the full DIC entitlement. If the SBP amount is less than the DIC amount, the spouse will receive the full DIC amount only. If the SBP amount is more than the DIC amount, the spouse will receive the full DIC amount plus a portion of the SBP amount, so that the total amount received equals the full SBP amount. The casualty assistance office helps spouses determine how to choose the SBP and DIC entitlements coverage in order to utilize these entitlements in the most beneficial way. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANCE: -This entitlement is available to a military member's spouse and dependents, but certain age requirements and other restrictions apply. -If the military member's spouse and dependents qualify for this entitlement, the Social Security Administration will determine the monthly annuity entitlement. FAMILY SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE: -This entitlement is available if a family member of a military member dies. -A military member can decline this coverage, but it must be done in writing. -When a military member is married, he or she is automatically signed up for this coverage. Spouse coverage is worth a maximum of $100,000 and can be paid only to the military member. -A military member's children are covered by this insurance automatically and at no cost if the children are registered in DEERS. Child coverage is worth a maximum of $10,000 and can be paid only to the military member.
