Section 644: Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) Implementation FAQs
1) Question: Who is eligible to receive the SSIA?
Answer: The SSIA is payable to surviving spouses who are eligible to receive an Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity and who have their annuities partially or fully offset by their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) that is paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).
2) Question: When will I start receiving pay?
Answer: The first payments will be dated Nov. 3, 2008.
3) Question: When did SSIA go into effect?
Answer: SSIA was effective Oct. 1, 2008.
4) Question: Do I need to apply to receive SSIA?
Answer: No application is necessary. DFAS will automatically pay SSIA to surviving spouse whose SBP accounts show a DIC offset of their spouse SBP annuity for months starting in October 2008. Letters will be sent to all surviving spouses who qualify to receive this benefit.
5) Question: Where can I find information about SSIA?
Answer: The best place to obtain SSIA information is at the following DFAS website: http://www.dfas.mil/retiredpay.html
6) Question: I now receive DIC and no longer receive SBP. How should I update my record since I want payments to go to my home?
Answer: If you are currently receiving your DIC payment from the DVA at your home address, there is no action necessary on your part. Your DIC payment address will also be used for the SSIA payment.
If your DIC payment is paid via EFT by the DVA, no action is necessary on your part. Your DIC electronic payment address will be used for the SSIA payment.
If you have an active PIN for myPay, go to https://mypay.dfas.mil to change the payment destination. You can also call DFAS toll-free at 1-800-321-1080. A customer service representative can change the check address if it is direct deposit/EFT. Hard copy check (non direct deposit/EFT) recipients must request check address changes in writing or by using myPay or the IVRS .
7) Question: Are the SSIA payments going to be added to the SBP payment I already receive or is it going to be a separate payment?
Answer: In order to expedite the SSIA payments to comply with the mandated implementation date of Oct. 1, 2008, your SSIA payment will made separately and is in addition to your regular SBP and/or DIC payments.
8) Question: Will the SSIA payment be made through direct deposit, if direct deposit is already set up?
Answer: If you already receive your SBP payment through direct deposit, the SSIA payment will be sent to the same address. If you currently receive your SBP payment at your home address, the SSIA payment will also be sent in a hard copy check to your home address.
9) Question: Is the SSIA going to be sent at the first of the month like SBP payments?
Answer: Yes. DFAS will send SSIA payments on the first business day of each month.
10) Question: Is the $50 a one time only payment? If not, how will it be paid out?
Answer: SSIA is not a one time payment. The payment schedule set by the legislation is summarized below:
EFFECTIVE DATE SSIA AMOUNT
Oct. 1, 2008 $50.00
Oct. 1, 2009 $60.00
Oct. 1, 2010 $70.00
Oct. 1, 2011 $80.00
Oct. 1, 2012 $90.00
Oct. 1, 2013 $100.00
Oct. 1, 2014 $100.00
Oct. 1, 2015 $100.00
March 1, 2016 $0.00
(entitlement ends)
11) Question: Is SSIA taxable?
Answer: Yes. SSIA is taxable, but FITW will not be withheld from the monthly payments. The taxable income will be reported on the yearly 1099R or 1042S. While you will receive two separate payments each month, your taxable income from SSIA and your annuity will be combined into one tax statement at the end of the year.
12) Question: Are child annuitants eligible for SSIA?
Answer: No. The SBP annuity for children is not offset by DIC. Therefore, child SBP annuitants are not entitled to SSIA.
13) Question: My SBP annuity was stopped because I remarried prior to age 55. Am I eligible to receive SSIA?
Answer: Surviving spouses whose SBP annuity is suspended due to remarriage prior to age 55 are not eligible for SSIA for the period their SBP annuity is suspended. If the marriage ends and the surviving spouse regains eligibility for SBP and DIC, they will also regain eligibility for SSIA.
14) Question: I received an SBP Cost Refund previously. If I receive SSIA, do I need to pay all or part of the Cost Refund back?
Answer: Because SSIA is a separate entitlement, no repayment of the SBP Cost Refund is necessary.
15) Question: What happens to the SSIA when I die?
Answer: When a spouse receiving SSIA dies, the termination date is the same as the effective date of termination of the SBP annuity entitlement.
16) Question: Do you know the Social Security Administration uses the acronym SSIA for Social Security Individual Accounts?
Answer: The Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance is in no way associated with the Social Security Administration or any of its programs/allowances.
