TAPS Guide to Benefits and Finance

Following a tragic loss, it is common to experience emotional numbness, temporary short-term memory loss, and difficulty understanding even basic things. A death in the military can further complicate grief. When this is coupled with having to make important decisions concerning money and benefits, the results can be overwhelming and confusing.

TAPS recognizes how difficult it can be to navigate through all the paperwork following a death in the military, so we have developed a Quick Series® Guide to Benefits and Finance for those who have experienced a military loss and are looking for guidance on how to balance their grief in the midst of a shift in their financial situation. The TAPS Benefits and Finance guide can help survivors take a deep breath and think through the financial options amid the chaos and confusion.

What is it? 

A Quick Series® guide compiles essential information into a concise and interactive format. The easy-to-carry pocket guide is a spiral bound 4” X 6” laminated booklet that fits easily in a pocket or purse. The unique format allows readers to rapidly find pertinent information with the use of color-coded tabs.

What topics are covered?

The TAPS Benefits and Finance guide examines available benefits following a military death, as well as addressing some of the concerns that are often not discussed, such as the feeling that you are expected to use the money to buy happiness or the idea that the money feels like a payoff for your loss. The guide also has a section on investing to help you understand options for safely saving your money. Resources and important numbers are included that can come in handy when you are trying to sort through each type of benefit.

Tabbed sections of the TAPS Benefits and Finance guide include: Welcome, About TAPS, Emotions and Money, Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, Death Gratuity, Benefits, Budgeting, Investing, Money Terms, and Resources.

How do I get one?

TAPS is pleased to be able to supply the TAPS Benefits and Finance guide at no cost to survivors. To receive a copy, write to info@taps.org. For those who are not military survivors, the guide can be purchased directly through QuickSeries® at www.quickseries.com  

By Melissa LoFaso, Manager, TAPS Casework Assistance