The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it will begin offering the same pension, death and other benefits to the same-sex spouses of military veterans that it provides heterosexual married veterans, following last week’s Supreme Court ruling.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution requires all states to allow same-sex marriages and recognize the lawful same-sex marriages of other states.
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As a result, the agency said the “VA may recognize the same-sex marriage of all Veterans, where the Veteran or the Veteran’s spouse resided anywhere in the United States or its territories at the time of the marriage or at the time of application for benefits.”
The agency said it will “work quickly to ensure that all offices and employees are provided guidance on implementing this important decision with respect to all programs, statutes, and regulations” it has regarding veterans’ benefits.
