---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1534"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1534"
heading: "Surviving spouses of Indian War veterans"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1534"
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"
---

# §1534. Surviving spouses of Indian 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 Indian War [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) who met the service requirements of [section 1511 of this title](/usc/38/1511.md) 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) 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 March 4, 1917; 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, § 534; Pub. L. 90–77, title I, §§ 101(a), 105, Aug. 31, 1967, 81 Stat. 178, 179; Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 106(26)–(29), Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1018; Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(b)(7), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 283; renumbered § 1534 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 404–406.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 534 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1511” for “511” in introductory provisions.

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 one of the Indian Wars, in which case the monthly rate shall be $75.”

1975—Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(29), substituted “Surviving spouses” for “Widows” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(26), substituted “pay to a surviving spouse” for “paid to a widow”, “unless 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(27), substituted “surviving spouse” for “widow”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–169, § 106(28), substituted “paid to a surviving spouse” for “paid to a widow”, “unless such surviving spouse” for “unless she” and “such veteran” for “him”.

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

Subsec. (c). 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.