If a surviving spouse remarries and the marriage ends, can their DIC benefits be reinstated?

The correct answer emphasizes that a surviving spouse can indeed have their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits reinstated after a remarriage, provided that the marriage subsequently ends through divorce or annulment.

This reinstatement is in line with policies that protect the financial benefits of surviving spouses who may find themselves in new marriages that do not last. It's designed to ensure that those eligible for DIC due to the loss of a spouse to service-related circumstances maintain some financial security, regardless of changes in their marital status. Prior versions of legislation allowed beneficiaries who remarried and later divorced to reclaim their benefits, reinforcing the idea that the initial loss of benefits was not meant to be permanent under these conditions.

The nuance that establishes the correct answer stems from the broader understanding of veterans' benefits regulations. Some benefits indeed depend upon the status of the individual's marital situation, and various provisions exist to accommodate changes arising after the original award of benefits.

In contrast, options indicating that benefits are permanently lost or conditionally reinstated based on the timeframe of the remarriage do not align with the current policies in place that allow for reinstatement after the end of a second marriage. These perspectives overlook the flexibility intended by the legislation designed to protect surviving spouses' rights.