VA Back Pay and Accrued Benefits: Who Qualifies and How to Claim What You’re Owed

VA back pay and accrued benefits are the same core benefits. The difference is in who receives them and when. Here’s what you need to know, as a VA disability claimant or a surviving family member.

What is VA Back Pay?

When you file a claim for VA disability benefits, your claim is assigned an effective date. Usually, that date is the day your claim was received, but in some circumstances, it can be a different date. For example, if you filed a notice of intent to file a claim and then filed your claim within one year, your effective date is typically the day you filed your notice of intent. If you file your claim within one year of separation from service, your effective date is the day after you were discharged. In some cases, your effective date may also be impacted by changes in the law.

Effective date matters because it is usually the day VA monetary benefits start. For example, if you filed a notice of intent to file a claim on June 30, 2024 and then filed your actual claim on March 3, 2025 and were ultimately awarded benefits on September 10, 2025, your effective date would typically be July 1, 2024. That means that by the time your benefits were awarded in 2025, the VA would owe you 14 months of back pay.

Back pay is calculated based on the benefits you would have received at the time. In the example above, the claimant would receive back pay for July, August, September, October and November of 2024 at 2024 benefit rates and December 2025 through August 2025 at 2025 rates. Your back pay is typically delivered in a lump sum shortly after you are approved for VA disability benefits, and you should not have to take any action to claim it.

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Accrued Benefits

As the description of back pay makes clear, VA disability benefits sometimes pile up before the VA makes the decision that triggers sending those benefits to the veteran. In some circumstances, surviving family members may be entitled to those accrued benefits.

Which Family Members are Eligible for Accrued Benefits?

Several different family members may be entitled to accrued benefits, but there is a hierarchy. For example, the surviving spouse comes first in the hierarchy. If there is an eligible surviving spouse, that spouse receives 100% of the accrued benefits, and no other family members are entitled to them.

If there is no surviving spouse, benefits are divided among any dependent children, including:

Minor children
Children 18 and older, but under 23, who are in school
Children of any age with disabilities that prevent them from caring for themselves

Accrued benefits are divided equally among all children who fall into one of the categories above, and no one else receives a share.

If there is no surviving spouse and there are no surviving dependent children, accrued benefits may be divided equally between surviving dependent parents. Or, if there is only one surviving dependent parent, they receive 100%.

These are the only family members entitled to receive accrued benefits, but there may be reimbursement benefits available for others who have paid burial expenses or medical costs for the veteran’s final illness.

When are Accrued Benefits Available?

Eligible family members are entitled to benefits that the deceased veteran would have been entitled to at the time of their death, even if that eligibility hadn’t yet been determined. For example, surviving family members may receive:

Benefit checks that had accrued but had not yet been processed for a veteran receiving benefits
Back pay due on a claim for benefits that was approved before the veteran passed away, but had not yet been paid out
Benefits that were pending when the veteran passed away, if and only if the VA had all the evidence necessary to approve the claim before the veteran passed away

Alternatively, an eligible survivor may file a request for substitution. If substitution is granted, the substitute claimant can provide additional evidence in support of the deceased’s claim or appeal. This provides an opportunity for surviving dependents to pursue accrued benefits even if they don’t fall into one of the three categories listed above.

Filing a Claim for Accrued Benefits

Unlike back pay, accrued benefits are not automatically paid out to eligible family members. You will need to file a claim with the VA for accrued benefits. There are separate claim forms for surviving spouses and children and for dependent parents.

A claim for reimbursement must be filed by the person who made the payments for the deceased veteran’s burial or final medical expenses. If the expenses were paid by the deceased’s estate, the claim should be filed by the executor of the estate on behalf of the estate. The limit on reimbursement is the lesser of actual expenses or the total amount of accrued benefits.

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Get the Help You Need with Back Pay or Accrued Benefits

Back pay should be paid out automatically when VA disability benefits are approved. However, mistakes happen. It’s important to know what you should be able to expect after your disability claim is approved and follow up if you don’t receive your back benefits or receive less than you think you should have.

Accrued benefits are different. The surviving dependents must act to secure accrued benefits, and time is limited. But, it may be difficult to determine whether to apply for accrued benefits or request substitution, or how to handle situations where multiple dependents may be entitled to benefits.

You don’t have to sort it out alone.

At Disabled Vets, our experienced VA disability benefits advocates have the knowledge and experience to help ensure that you have access to all of the VA benefits you are entitled to. There may even be benefits you aren’t aware of that you should explore. To learn more about how we can help after the loss of your veteran family member, call us today at 888-373-4722 or fill out our contact form HERE right now.

Call 1-888-373-4722 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form