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Cover of Left Standing by J. Erickson
Book by J. Erickson

Left Standing

The Complete Survivor Benefits Guide, For Every Surviving Spouse, Child, and Parent Who Deserves Answers

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About this book

When a veteran or service member dies, the family faces a maze of programs at the worst possible time: DIC, accrued benefits, survivors pension, CHAMPVA, education, the home loan, burial, and state benefits. This guide puts them in one place for spouses, children, and parents. It explains which benefits may apply to you, how to claim them, and what to do if the answer comes back no.

Inside this book

  1. 1Who This Book Is For and Your Benefits Map
  2. 2DIC: What It Is and Who Can Claim It
  3. 3Establishing Service Connection After Death
  4. 4Accrued Benefits and Substitute Claimant Rights
  5. 5Survivors' Pension (Needs-Based, with A&A and Housebound Add-Ons)
  6. 6CHAMPVA and Healthcare for Survivors
  7. 7Education Benefits, VA Home Loan, and Life Insurance
  8. 8SBP, Caregiver Program, State Benefits, and Financial Planning
  9. 9Burial Benefits, State Programs, and Parents' Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
  10. 10Protecting What You Earned

The book points you to its free field guide, The First Weeks as a Survivor (a free download, no signup).

Pairs with

Free guides and worksheets need no signup and no book. Books and workbooks are coming soon.

Workbook · Coming soonThe Deadline ProtectorWorkbook · Coming soonThe Survivor and Caregiver WorkbookWorkbook · Coming soonThe Survivor's BinderFree guideThe Accrued Benefits and Substitution GuideFree guideThe Burial and Military Honors GuideFree guideThe CHAMPVA Guide for SurvivorsFree guideThe DIC Guide for SurvivorsFree guideThe First Weeks as a SurvivorFree guideThe Survivor Education Benefits GuideFree guideThe Survivors Pension and Aid and Attendance GuideFree worksheetNot All FiveFree worksheetThe Frozen RecordFree worksheetThe Reason UnderneathFree worksheetThe Year That Does Not MoveFree worksheetTwo More QuestionsFree worksheetWhere You Were
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J. Erickson's author image: Air Force uniform ribbons and rank insignia
About the author

J. Erickson

Author, educator, former veteran service officer.

J. Erickson is a service-disabled Air Force veteran. He served as a military firefighter and as a veteran service officer, where he spent years walking veterans through the same claims process he writes about now. He holds an MBA and writes plain-language guides for veterans who want to understand the system without a translator.

Read more about the author