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Advocates press Congress to let surviving spouses remarry without losing VA benefits
Summary
TAPS and other witnesses told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that survivors face financial hardship and stigma under current law and urged passage of the Love Lives On Act and related measures to raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and protect survivors from predatory claims representatives.
Survivor advocates told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that federal benefits rules force many surviving spouses into impossible choices between financial stability and remarriage.
Ashlyn Hancock Lohman, Director of Government and Legislative Affairs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), told senators the Love Lives On Act seeks to eliminate a rule that causes many surviving spouses to lose benefits if they remarry before age 55. "Honor and sacrifice do not come with an expiration date, and neither should our nation support," she said.
Why it matters: TAPS and other witnesses said the rule disproportionately affects younger surviving spouses who may be in their mid‑20s to…
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