A Grieving Spouse Shouldn’t Face the Benefits Maze Alone. Bring a Chaplain—and a Checklist.

A grieving spouse should not have to discover every possible benefit alone. A chaplain can help identify the programs worth asking about, connect the family to the right specialists, and record what still needs attention.

This checklist is a starting point for that work. It covers federal benefits, a clearly marked Texas example, and selected private programs. It is not a final legal determination of eligibility.

Use it with the family, not as homework for them

Ask who the family wants involved. Identify the agency’s benefits specialist or family liaison, agree on the next calls, and write down who will make them. Keep copies of submitted documents and confirmation numbers in the family’s secure records.

Mark a checkbox when you have followed up. A checkmark does not mean a claim has been approved. Let the administering agency confirm coverage, deadlines, amounts and eligibility.

Prepare. Sit together. Follow through.

Before the visit: Review the checklist and its source-review date. Ask the agency’s benefits specialist which programs may apply, what needs attention first, and who can answer claim-specific questions. Bring a working copy.
At the table: Ask the spouse who they want involved. Work through the list together, one question at a time. Record unknowns rather than filling them with assumptions. Offer to help arrange calls; do not leave the checklist as another assignment for the family.
Before you leave: Write down the named contact, next action and person responsible for each urgent item. Agree on a follow-up time. Keep sensitive records with the family or its authorized specialist.

The chaplain’s contribution is continuity: someone who remembers the unanswered question and comes back to help with the next step.

What was checked

Sources were reviewed September 17, 2026. The federal FY2026 amounts, Texas workers’ compensation formula and burial cap, minor-child schedule, and listed private-program terms are linked below. The Texas Chapter 615 lump sum changes annually: obtain ERS’s amount for the date of death before discussing a payment with the family. Record the amount ERS confirms for the family’s claim.

The checklist also routes duty-related trauma, suicide and occupational-cancer questions to PSOB for review. These provisions have evidence and timing requirements; none is a promise of automatic approval.

Start with the family. Then make the connections.

Agree on a point of contact

Ask the family who may coordinate with the agency and benefits specialists. Record urgent needs, a preferred contact method and the next check-in. Keep personal records secure.

Federal PSOB death benefit [1]

BJA lists $461,656 for eligible deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2025 (FY2026). BJA determines eligibility; other programs' approvals do not establish PSOB eligibility. Start the application and ask about claim-specific deadlines.

Federal educational assistance [1, 2]

BJA lists $1,574 per month for eligible full-time education on or after October 1, 2025. Ask PSOB to confirm spouse/child eligibility, enrollment, duration and the rate for the period attended.

Duty-related trauma and suicide: request PSOB review [3]

The 2022 law allows certain trauma-related and suicide claims; coverage is not automatic. Evidence requirements differ by circumstances and timing. Ask PSOB about documentation and filing deadlines rather than ruling a claim in or out.

Occupational cancer: ask about the new PSOB presumption [4]

BJA requires a listed duty-related carcinogen exposure, at least five years of service before diagnosis, and departure from service less than 15 years before diagnosis. The listed cancer must cause death or permanent total disability. Additional documentation and effective-date rules apply.

Texas benefits and the agency's own coverage

Texas Chapter 615 lump sum [5, 6]

Ask ERS for the amount applicable to the date of death and the eligible survivor priority. The amount is adjusted annually and depends on the date of death. Record ERS's confirmed amount below.

Texas minor-child assistance [5, 6]

Section 615.023 lists monthly totals of $400 for one eligible child, $600 for two, or $800 for three or more. A child's entitlement ends in the month of their 18th birthday. Ask ERS about guardianship and payment arrangements.

Texas workers' compensation income benefits [7]

For a qualifying work-related death, the formula is 75% of average weekly wage, subject to limits and beneficiary rules. File DWC Form-042 within one year of death. Ask the carrier to confirm allocation and duration for spouse, children and other dependents.

Texas burial reimbursement [7]

For injuries on or after September 1, 2015, eligible burial expenses may be reimbursed up to $10,000 to the person who paid. Submit bills and a written request to the carrier within 12 months of death. It is not automatically a payment to the funeral home.

Employer, retirement and personal coverage

With permission, ask HR or the family liaison to inventory pension survivor options, employer life/accident policies, health coverage and personal policies. Have the administering specialist explain elections, deadlines and documents before anything is signed.

Private assistance: check the actual program

Local or regional 100 Club [8]

Locate the club serving the officer's agency and confirm its service area, qualifying circumstances, assistance and application process. Do not promise a universal $10,000 payment or a 72-hour turnaround.

Tunnel to Towers [9]

Ask about the Fallen First Responder Home Program. Its line-of-duty/training route requires a surviving biological or legally adopted child age 18 or younger; the 9/11-exposure route uses age 21 or younger. Date-of-death and surviving-parent relationship conditions also apply. The foundation decides eligibility.

NRA member insurance [10]

The NRA lists a $35,000 line-of-duty death benefit for public law enforcement officers who are members. It is not available in all states and is subject to policy terms, exclusions and changes. Confirm coverage with the insurance administrator.

WoodmenLife first-responder benefit [11]

WoodmenLife currently lists $25,000 for qualifying first-responder members who die in the line of duty. Verify membership in good standing, registered first-responder status and program conditions. This noncontractual member extra can change.

National Sheriffs' Association [12]

Eligible members may have accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Ask the association for the applicable membership class, current group policy, benefit amount and exclusions. Record the insurer's confirmed coverage and claim contact.

Resources / References

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