---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1532"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1532"
heading: "Surviving spouses of Civil War veterans"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1532"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 15 — Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability or Death or for Service"
  - "Subchapter III — Pensions to Surviving Spouses and Children"
---

# §1532. Surviving spouses of Civil War veterans

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall pay to the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) of each [Civil War veteran](/usc/38/1501.md?p=3) who met the service requirements of this section a [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) at the following monthly rate:
  - (1) $40.64 if such [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) is below seventy years of age; or
  - (2) $70 if such [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) is seventy years of age or older.
- (b) If there is a [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) of the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1), the rate of [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) paid to the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be increased by $8.13 per month for each such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1).
- (c) A [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) met the service requirements of this section if such [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) served for ninety days or more in the [active military or naval service](/usc/38/1501.md?p=3) during the Civil War, as heretofore defined under public laws administered by the [Veterans](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1)’ Administration, or if such [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) was discharged or released from such service upon a surgeon’s certificate of [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1).
- (d) No [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) shall be paid to a [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) of a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) under this section unless such [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) was married to such [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1)—
  - (1) before June 27, 1905; or
  - (2) for one year or more; or
  - (3) for any period of time if a [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) was born of the marriage, or was born to them before the marriage.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1137, § 532; Pub. L. 90–77, title I, §§ 101(a), 105, Aug. 31, 1967, 81 Stat. 178, 179; Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 106(20)–(23), Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1018; Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(b)(7), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 283; renumbered § 1532 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(a)(1), (b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403–406; Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, § 1201(a)(2), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4682.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted “Veterans’ Administration” for “Secretary”.

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 532 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 102–54 substituted a period for semicolon at end of par. (2) and struck out at end “unless such surviving spouse was the spouse of the veteran during such veteran’s service in the Civil War, in which case the monthly rate shall be $75.”

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(1), substituted “administered by the Secretary” for “administered by the Veterans’ Administration”.

1975—Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(23), substituted “Surviving spouses” for “Widows” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(20), substituted “pay to the surviving spouse” for “pay to the widow”, “such surviving spouse” for “she” wherever appearing, “was the spouse” for “was the wife” and “such veteran’s” for “his”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(21), substituted “surviving spouse” for “widow”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(21), substituted “such veteran” for “he” wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(22), substituted “surviving spouse”, “such surviving spouse” and “such veteran” for “widow”, “she” and “him”, respectively.

1967—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 90–77, § 105, substituted ”$70” for “$65”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–77, § 101(a), qualified widow of a veteran for a pension by reducing in par. (2) the requisite marriage period from five years to one year and by making her eligible for benefits in par. (3) in event of antenuptial birth.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 106, Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1017, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective Jan. 1, 1976.

### Effective Date of 1967 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–77 effective first day of first calendar month which begins more than ten days after Aug. 31, 1967, see section 405 of Pub. L. 90–77, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.