If you have a VA service-connected disability rating, even a 0% rating, you can get up to $40,000 of whole life insurance from VA with guaranteed acceptance and zero health questions. That is the entire pitch of VALife, and for Veterans who have been rated up, quoted sky-high premiums, or flat-out declined by commercial insurers because of service-connected conditions, it is one of the most underused benefits VA offers. We break down exactly what VALife is, what it is actually worth, who qualifies, and how to apply in minutes.
What it is
VALife (Veterans Affairs Life Insurance) is guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance run directly by VA. Whole life is different from the term life coverage most people carry through work or SGLI. Term coverage protects you for a set window and then expires with nothing to show for it. Whole life stays in force for your entire life as long as you pay the premiums, the premium is locked at whatever rate you start with, and the policy builds cash value over time. VALife launched on January 1, 2023 and replaced Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI) for new applicants; S-DVI stopped taking new applications after December 31, 2022. VALife has no time limit to apply for Veterans age 80 and under.
What it's worth
The face value is straightforward: you choose coverage from $10,000 up to $40,000, in $10,000 increments. Your beneficiaries receive that amount when you pass away, once the policy is past its waiting period.
The real value is the guaranteed acceptance. Commercial life insurers underwrite you, which means health questions, medical records, and sometimes exams. Veterans with service-connected conditions like PTSD, diabetes, heart conditions, or cancer histories can be charged substantially more or declined outright. VALife asks no health questions at all. If you meet the eligibility rules, VA approves you. Your disability rating, your diagnoses, and your medical history are irrelevant to both acceptance and price.
Premiums are fixed based on your age when you enroll and never increase as long as you keep the coverage. VA publishes the full premium rate tables on the official page, so you can see your exact rate before you apply. One quirk worth knowing: if more than 6 months have passed since your last birthday, VA prices you as one year older, so applying before your half-birthday can lock in a slightly lower rate for life. You can pay monthly or annually.
The policy also builds cash value that starts accruing two years after VA approves your application. This is a savings component that grows over time, which term policies never offer.
The honest caveat: VALife has a two-year waiting period. Full coverage begins two years after approval, as long as you keep paying your premiums. If you pass away during those first two years, VA does not pay the face value. Instead, VA pays your beneficiaries every premium dollar you paid plus interest (VA's published rate is 4.23% for deaths in 2026). Your family is never out the money, but the full payout requires surviving the waiting period. This is standard for guaranteed acceptance policies, and it is exactly why applying sooner beats applying later.
Here is the structure at a glance, per VA's official VALife page:
| Feature | VALife terms |
|---|---|
| Coverage amount | $10,000 to $40,000 in $10,000 increments |
| Acceptance | Guaranteed for eligible Veterans, no health questions |
| Premiums | Fixed at enrollment age, never increase |
| Full coverage begins | 2 years after approval |
| Death within first 2 years | Premiums refunded to beneficiaries plus interest |
| Cash value | Begins accruing 2 years after approval |
Who qualifies (and who doesn't)
The eligibility rules are short. Per VA, you qualify if:
- You are age 80 or younger and have a VA service-connected disability rating, even a 0% rating. There is no time limit to apply.
- You are age 81 or older, you applied for VA disability compensation for a service-connected disability before turning 81, you received the rating for that same disability after turning 81, and you apply for VALife within 2 years of being notified of that rating.
That 0% detail matters more than most Veterans realize. A 0% rating pays no monthly compensation, but it is still a service-connected rating, and it fully unlocks VALife. If VA ever granted you service connection for anything and you are 80 or younger, you are in.
Who does not qualify: Veterans with no service-connected rating at all. If VA has never granted you service connection for any condition, VALife is not available to you until you file a disability claim and receive a rating. Active duty members are covered by SGLI instead and would apply for VALife after separation once they hold a rating.
One note for the small group of Veterans still carrying an old S-DVI policy: as of January 1, 2026, applying for VALife ends your S-DVI coverage on the day VALife is approved. The earlier window that let you keep both policies during the waiting period closed on December 31, 2025. If you hold S-DVI, weigh that trade before applying.
How to claim it
Applying takes minutes. The application is online at VA.gov, and you do not need to prove you are in good health or take a medical exam.
- Confirm you have a service-connected rating. Any percentage from 0% to 100% counts. You can check your rating in your VA.gov account.
- Go to the official VALife application on VA.gov. The online application checks your eligibility as you go.
- Pick your coverage amount: $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, or $40,000. VA's published rate tables show your exact fixed premium based on your age and coverage amount.
- Choose monthly or annual payments and submit. Because acceptance is guaranteed, approval does not depend on any medical review.
- Mark your calendar for the two-year point. That is when full face-value coverage and cash value accrual begin.
If you are close to a birthday, remember the half-year rule. Applying while you are still within 6 months of your last birthday gets you the younger age band and a permanently lower premium.
Related benefits
Your service-connected rating unlocks far more than life insurance. Start with these:
- VA disability pay rates for 2026 shows what your monthly compensation should be at every rating level.
- Benefits for spouses, children, and parents covers the dependent and survivor benefits that pair naturally with life insurance planning.
What to do next
VALife is one line item out of more than 4,000 federal and state benefits we track. Most Veterans we scan are leaving four figures or more on the table every year without knowing it. Run your free benefits scan at Benefitry and see every benefit you qualify for, what each one is worth, and exactly how to claim it, all backed by official .gov sources.