---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1543"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1543"
heading: "Net worth limitation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1543"
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"
---

# §1543. Net worth limitation

- (a)
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall deny or discontinue payment of [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) to a [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) under [section 1541 of this title](/usc/38/1541.md) when the corpus of the estate of the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) is such that under all the circumstances, including consideration of the income of the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) and the income of any [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) from whom the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) is receiving increased [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15), it is reasonable that some part of the corpus of such estate be consumed for the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3)’s maintenance.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall deny or discontinue the payment of increased [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) under subsection (c), (d), or (e) of [section 1541 of this title](/usc/38/1541.md) on account of a [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) when the corpus of such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1)’s estate is such that under all the circumstances, including consideration of the income of the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) and such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) and the income of any other [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) for whom the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) is receiving increased [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15), it is reasonable that some part of the corpus of the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1)’s estate be consumed for the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1)’s maintenance. During the period such denial or discontinuance remains in effect, such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) shall not be considered as the [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3)’s [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) for purposes of this chapter.
- (b) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall deny or discontinue payment of [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) to a [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) under [section 1542 of this title](/usc/38/1542.md) when the corpus of the estate of the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) is such that under all the circumstances, including consideration of the income of the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1), the income of any person with whom such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1) is residing who is legally responsible for such [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1)’s support, and the corpus of the estate of such person, it is reasonable that some part of the corpus of such estates be consumed for the [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1)’s maintenance.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1138, § 543; Pub. L. 86–211, § 4, Aug. 29, 1959, 73 Stat. 435; Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 101(2)(E), Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1014; Pub. L. 95–588, title I, § 111, Nov. 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 2504; renumbered § 1543 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 543 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1541” for “541” in pars. (1) and (2).

Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in pars. (1) and (2).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1542” for “542”.

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

1978—Pub. L. 95–588 designated existing provisions relating to denial or discontinuance of pension payments to surviving spouses as subsec. (a), expanded existing provisions relating to denial or discontinuance of pension payments to children of veterans, and designated such expanded provisions as subsecs. (a)(2) and (b).

1975—Pub. L. 94–169 substituted “surviving spouse” for “widow”.

1959—Pub. L. 86–211 substituted provisions requiring the denial or discontinuance of payment of pension to a widow or child when the corpus of the estate of the survivor concerned is such that under all the circumstances, including consideration of income, it is reasonable that some part of the corpus be consumed for the survivor’s maintenance for provisions which authorized the payment of a pension to widows of World War II or Korean conflict veterans. See section 1541 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–588 effective Jan. 1, 1979, see section 401 of Pub. L. 95–588, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 101, Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1013, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective Jan. 1, 1976.

### Effective Date of 1959 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 86–211 effective July 1, 1960, see section 10 of Pub. L. 86–211, set out as a note under section 1521 of this title.