Reinstatement of Benefits Eligibility Based Upon Terminated Marital Relationships

This document amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adjudication regulations to state that the remarried surviving spouse of a veteran is not barred from receiving dependency and indemnity compensation if the remarriage is terminated by death, divorce, or annulment, unless the divorce or annulment was secured through fraud or collusion. This document further amends the regulations to permit the receipt of dependency and indemnity compensation by a surviving spouse who has lived with another person and held himself or herself out openly to the public as that other person's spouse, if the surviving spouse ceases living with that other person and holding himself or herself out openly to the public as that other person's spouse. This amendment is necessary to conform the regulations to a recent statutory change.