VA Form 21P-0518-1
Improved Pension Eligibility Verification Report - Surviving Spouse Without Dependent Children
VA sent you this annual EVR as a surviving spouse receiving Survivors Pension with no dependent children on the award.
- Who fills it
- survivor
- Journey phase
- Keeping Your Award Current
- Estimated time
- 20-30 minutes.
- When to file
- By the deadline printed on the form.
Official VA form page: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/
Gather before you start
- ▸Current income from all sources (SSA, any pension, interest, dividends)
- ▸Current net worth
- ▸Any marital status changes (remarriage terminates Survivors Pension)
- ▸Any address changes
Attach with the form
- ▸Income documentation if amounts changed
- ▸21P-8416 Medical Expense Report if claiming deductions
Section I - Surviving Spouse Identification (pre-printed)
Blocks 1-5Name, SSN, VA File Number, address (pre-printed)PII
Pre-printed by VA. Verify all fields are current. Any address change must be reported immediately.
(pre-printed; verify)
Common mistakes
- ×Not reporting address change - future pension mail goes to wrong address.
Section II - Marital Status
Block 6Confirm you have not remarried
IMPORTANT: Remarriage after the veteran's death TERMINATES Survivors Pension immediately. If you have remarried, you must report it and pension payments will stop. If the second marriage ended (divorce, death), contact VA as benefits may be restorable.
e.g., Have not remarried since veteran's death.
Common mistakes
- ×Not reporting a remarriage - VA will eventually discover it through SSA records and will seek recovery of all overpayments with penalties.
Authority
- 38 USC 1541 - Death pension for surviving spouse of wartime veteran.
Section III - Current Annual Income
Blocks 7-18All income from all sources
Report all of your income: Social Security retirement or disability, any private or civil service pension, wages, interest, dividends, rental income, and any other income. Do not include VA pension payments.
e.g., SSA retirement: $14,400/yr; Interest: $240/yr
Common mistakes
- ×Not reporting SSA COLA increase - report every change.
- ×Forgetting to update if you started new part-time work.
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
Section IV - Certification
Blocks 19-20Surviving spouse signature and datePII
Sign and return by the deadline. Missing the deadline suspends your pension.
(signature/date)
Common mistakes
- ×Missing the deadline - contact VA immediately.
Statutory and regulatory authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
- 38 CFR 3.500 - When VA reduces or discontinues benefits.
- 38 USC 1541 - Death pension for surviving spouse of wartime veteran.