Tips & Special Topics
About VA Form 26-1817 for Surviving Military Spouses
Added August 18, 2010 | Updated August 18, 2010
Obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a required first step in the VA home loan process. Most VA borrowers can obtain a COE quickly and easily through webLGY, the VA’s automated services system. For those VA borrowers who cannot obtain a COE online, VA Form 26-1880 is usually appropriate for obtaining COE by mail.
However, for unremarried surviving spouses of veterans who died during service or of service-related reasons, the story is different. Since these surviving spouses are not in webLGY system, VA Form 26-1817 via U.S. Mail is the only way for them to obtain their COE.
Form 26-1817 is officially called Request for Determination of Loan Guaranty Eligibility – Unmarried Surviving Spouses. With VA Form 26-1817, surviving spouses can expect about a two week turnaround time if the veteran died during service or if the death after service has already been determined to be service-connected. If it has not yet been decided whether a post-service death is service-related, then the process could take up to three months.
Regardless of whether a veteran’s death is known to be service-connected, VA Form 26-1817 must be filled out by a surviving spouse wishing to use VA home loan benefits. The form can be filled out in a few minutes with the correct documents on hand. The basic information requested on VA Form 26-1817 is as follows:
• Name and address of surviving spouse
• A working daytime telephone number
• Surviving spouse’s birth date
• Surviving spouse’s military service information (if applicable)
• Deceased veteran’s first, middle and last name
• Deceased veteran’s VA file number (beginning in XC-…)
• Location of VA claims file (only if known)
• Deceased veteran’s service number (in some cases Social Security Number)
• Deceased veteran’s branch of service
• Date of veteran’s death
• Deceased veteran’s dates of military service
• Information on past VA home loan benefit use
• Surviving spouse’s signature and date
For surviving spouses, much of the information requested on VA Form 26-1817 is self explanatory. It can be a good idea to work directly with a VA loan professional to ensure the form is filled out correctly. The most common mistake the applicant makes when filling out the form is to enter the deceased veteran’s information in the section requesting the surviving spouse’s information. As long as the applicant reads the form carefully before filling it out, this problem can be avoided.
Another potential source of confusion surrounds past VA loan use. For each use of the VA home loan benefit, surviving spouses must enter the VA Regional Office location. Each state is assigned a Regional Loan Center that keeps a record of the VA home loan. A chart containing the Regional Loan Center for each state can be found online at http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/rlcweb.asp.
Finally, a surviving military spouse applying for COE using VA Form 26-1817 must provide evidence of the veteran’s service. The exact documentation required depends on whether the veteran died during active duty, post-duty from a service-connected injury and if the surviving spouse is already receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
Active Duty Death
For a surviving military spouse of a veteran who died on active duty, already receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), no further documentation is required. If not yet receiving DIC*, the surviving spouse must enclose the following documentation with the deceased veteran’s Social Security number on each:
• Copy of DD Form 1300 (Report of Casualty)
• Copy of Marriage Certificate
Post-Service Death
A surviving military spouse of a veteran deceased as a result of a service-connected injury, already receiving DIC, should send a copy of the Reward Letter. If not yet receiving DIC*, the surviving spouse must enclose the following documentation with the deceased veteran’s Social Security number on each:
• Copy of veteran’s DD Form 214 (Discharge Papers and Separation Documents)
• Copy of veteran’s death certificate
• Copy of marriage certificate
A completed VA Form 26-1817 with clean copies of the required documents should be sent by U.S. Mail to:
VA Loan Eligibility Center
P.O. Box 20729
Winston-Salem, NC 27120
For more information about VA Form 26-1817 or for help completing it, please contact a seasoned VA loan professional.
*Surviving spouses not yet receiving DIC may want to consider applying for the benefits. VA Form 21-534 Request for DIC can be included with VA Form 26-1817 along with the required documentation. If a surviving spouse qualifies for the VA home loan benefit, he or she may also qualify for monthly DIC payments.
