Matt Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Military Death Benefit Upped From $12,500 To $100,000Maximum Available Life Insurance Also Increased POSTED: 3:23 pm CDT July 1, 2005 UPDATED: 3:41 pm CDT July 1, 2005 WASHINGTON -- Families of U.S. servicemembers killed in the war on terrorism will receive a much larger death benefit in the future. Congress approved the change a while ago -- and the President signed the bill into law -- but now the Pentagon is set to increase benefits for those who die in action. In the past, families of a dead servicemember received an immediate cash payment of just under $12,500. The payment now climbs to $100,000. Starting Sept. 1, members of the military deployed to combat zones will also get a big boost in the maximum amount of life insurance. The limit climbs from $250,000 to $400,000. Families that lost a service member prior to the benefit change will receive checks for $150,000, the difference between the current life insurance limit and the new one. Those payments are retroactive to Oct. 7, 2001 -- the date on which the war on terrorism began with the assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Pentagon cautioned that it may take several months to contact all the families affected and process their payments. http://www.click2houston.com/news/4676436/detail.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbleph1$h Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 (Y) Great news IMO, and well overdue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PseudoRandomDragon Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Indeed, we really needed this to help the families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdb815 Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Pretty sweet. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy07 Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 whats it matter how much they pay the families, its not going to bring them back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbleph1$h Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 whats it matter how much they pay the families, its not going to bring them back. 586167905[/snapback] Of course not. It's more for the benefit of the soldier's than their loved ones - a sign of respect and gratitude for the indispensible service they provide for their country. The same idea as a life insurance policy. Hopefully it won't have to be used - at least for a long time, but it's comforting knowing that your loved ones will be provided for (at least more than before) if something ever did hapen. There's nothing we could ever do for these families and loved ones to ever possibly honor or thank them enough. No amount of money could ever possibly make up for their pain. God bless them for all of eternity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the long lost son Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 whats it matter how much they pay the families, its not going to bring them back. 586167905[/snapback] True, but would it be better for the families to be left with nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardly Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 What about the soldiers that died just before the bill was signed? Is there some sort of cutoff that is in place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smaulz Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 about freakin' time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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