The death gratuity is a one-time non-taxable payment  to help surviving family members deal with the financial hardships that accompany the loss of a service member.

A payment of $100,000 for survivors of those whose deaths under the following conditions:

A member of an armed force under his jurisdiction who dies while on active duty or while performing authorized travel to or from active duty;

A Reserve of an armed force who dies while on inactive duty training (with exceptions);

Any Reserve of an armed force who assumed an obligation to perform active duty for training, or inactive duty training (with exceptions) and who dies while traveling directly to or from that active duty for training or inactive duty training;

Any member of a reserve officers’ training corps who dies while performing annual training duty under orders for a period of more than 13 days, or while performing authorized travel to or from that annual training duty; or any applicant for membership in a reserve officers’ training corps who dies while attending field training or a practice cruise or while performing authorized travel to or from the place where the training or cruise is conducted; or A person who dies while traveling to or from or while at a place for final acceptance, or for entry upon active duty (other than for training), in an armed force, who has been ordered or directed to go to that place, and who  Has been provisionally accepted for that duty; or Has been selected for service in that armed force.   The death gratuity amount is made payable to survivors of the deceased in this order: Continue reading →