Is a claim for death pension and DIC processed by one of the three Pension Maintenance Centers?

A claim for death pension and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is indeed processed by one of the three Pension Maintenance Centers. This is because both benefits are part of the pension programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Pension Maintenance Centers are designated locations that handle these types of claims specifically.

The death pension is a needs-based benefit for dependents of wartime veterans, while DIC is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of service members who died while on active duty or who were killed in action, as well as to survivors of veterans who died from service-related conditions. Having a centralized processing system through these centers helps in managing and streamlining claims to ensure that they are evaluated efficiently and accurately.

In contrast, other options indicate situations that do not fully align with how these claims are managed under the VA system. The processing is uniform across different locations and does not depend on individual states or the servic-connected status of the veteran at death.