Who can be a claimant eligible for DIC payments?

Surviving spouses who have not remarried are eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments. DIC is a benefit paid to eligible survivors of service members who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related injury or disease. This benefit is primarily designed to provide financial support to the surviving spouse, enhancing their ability to maintain a standard of living after the loss of their partner.

The eligibility specifically requires that the spouse has not remarried as this reflects the intent to acknowledge the profound impact of the service member's death on their life. DIC can also extend to children or parents of the deceased veteran, but the option that specifies surviving spouses who have not remarried directly aligns with the criteria laid out by the Department of Veterans Affairs, making this definition of eligibility particularly significant.

In this context, the other choices are either too restrictive or misrepresent the criteria for DIC payments, reinforcing why the correct response emphasizes the status of the surviving spouse who has not remarried as key to eligibility.