Veterans and Those They Left Behind: What Benefits Do They Receive?

How we take care of families of those who died while serving in U.S. armed forces. Learn more in this America Counts story.

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers Veterans and Those They Left Behind: What Benefits Do They Receive? This Memorial Day as we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces, we also remember the families they left behind and look at how the government supports them. Family members such as a surviving spouse, surviving parent, or dependent child are eligible for some of the benefits the government provides survivors in honor of service members' sacrifices. Read More According to the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), about 20 million or 15.4% of the nation's households had at least one veteran present in 2017. About 5.9 million of these homes received some type of government assistance — such as education, health insurance and survivor pensions — related to military service. But some 600,000 households without a veteran present also received military compensation in 2017. While some are non-veteran members of the National Guard, the majority (76%) are "survivor" households, those with the surviving spouse, children or parents of someone who died during active service.   Continue reading to learn more about: Who are the survivors? Programs available to service members and families of those who died Help us spread the word about America Counts. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This You May Be Interested Who Are the Nation's Veterans? Veterans who served after the September 11, 2001, attacks are more likely to have a service-connected disability than veterans from any other service period. Learn More About America Counts America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, economy, emergency preparedness, health, population, income and poverty. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews. Don't miss an America Counts story! Subscribe here.

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