The Veterans Administration—United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—assists the spouses of military service men and women who died while serving or as a veteran after active service with a wide variety of services and benefits. Whether you need to contact the VA because your spouse was receiving a VA benefit or you need to apply for a survivor's benefit(s), notifying the VA of your spouse’s death isn’t difficult and only requires that you gather together certain information and make a phone call.
Step 1
Gather information about your spouse (full name, date of birth, Social Security Number and branch of military) and your spouse’s death including a written proof of death. Proof of a death within the U.S. can include a signed official copy of a death certificate, coroner's report or clinical summary/report. If the death occurred outside of the U.S., the VA should accept a signed U.S. Consular report that has a U.S. Consul seal or a copy of the public record if authenticated by a State Department agency or the U.S. Consul.
Step 2
Call the Department of Veterans Affairs' Telephone Assistance Service at (800) 827-1000.
Step 3
Follow the phone prompts to reach a Veterans Service representative to notify the VA of your spouse's death.