Secondary Dependency Recertification

Who Counts as a Secondary Dependent

Per 37 USC 40337 USC 403, secondary dependents are family members other than spouse or unmarried child under 21 who depend on the Marine for more than 50 percent of support. 37 USC 403

Eligible categories.

• Incapacitated child age 21 or over (mental or physical incapacity occurring while a dependent or dependent of a deceased sponsor under specific conditions).
• Parent, parent-in-law, step-parent, parent by adoption, or in-loco parentis.
• Student age 21 or 22 enrolled full-time in an accredited institution of higher education.
• Ward of the court (unmarried, in the sponsor's permanent legal physical custody, or non-permanent custody for at least 12 consecutive months).

The sponsor proves "in fact" dependency by providing more than 50 percent of the claimed individual's total support.

How the Marine Proves Financial Support

Per the DFAS process, two paths.

• Option 1. Provide a copy of the prior year's tax return showing the claimed individual as a dependent, attached to the DD Form 137DD Form 137.
• Option 2. Complete the Worksheet for Determining Financial Support found on pages 5 to 7 of the DD Form 137DD Form 137 and submit with the package.

The support test compares what the sponsor contributed against the total support the individual received from all sources, including the individual's own funds spent on support.

Benefits Tied to Secondary Dependency

A secondary dependent's status drives multiple downstream benefits. A lapse cuts all of them.

The Recertification Cadence

Per the DFAS program rules, the recertification cadence depends on what the secondary dependent receives.

The cadence applies to redetermination of the existing claim. The submission window is constrained.

What Happens If the Marine Misses the Window

Per the DFAS program rules.

• Failure to recertify suspends the benefits received on behalf of the secondary dependent.
• A debt typically forms during the lapse period if BAH was paid past the expiration without recertification.
• If BAH stops due to lapse, no back payment is authorized for the period during which the individual was not officially recognized as a dependent.
• If at any time the secondary dependency status changes or sponsor support drops below 50 percent, all entitlements cease. The sponsor or beneficiary reports the change to the office maintaining the claim.

A missed recertification is not a paperwork inconvenience. It is a real financial loss that does not refund.

The Section's Tracking Job

Maintain a section secondary dependency tracker.

Pull the tracker monthly. When a Marine's 90-day window opens, the conversation starts. Marine pulls the prior tax return or completes the DFAS Worksheet for Determining Financial Support. Submission goes to the correct DFAS processing office.

Submission Path

Per DFAS, applications submit one of two ways.

• Online via the AskDFAS Secondary Dependency Claims website. The faster path. A ticket number returns by email for tracking.
• U.S. Mail to the address listed at the DFAS Secondary Dependency Contact page.

DFAS does not accept fax or email submissions.

Coaching the Marine

In counseling sessions where secondary dependency applies.

• Confirm the dependent is still receiving more than 50 percent support.
• Confirm the dependent's status has not changed (student no longer enrolled, ward returned to a parent's custody, parent's circumstances shifted).
• Identify the next recertification expiration date.
• Schedule the package start at the 90-day mark.
• Verify the supporting evidence (tax return or Worksheet) is current.

A Marine carrying a secondary dependent who never has the cadence conversation is a Marine the section is letting drift toward a debt.

Common Failures

• Marine forgets the recertification cadence. BAH stops. Debt forms.
• Marine submits earlier than 90 days. Package returns.
• Tax return cited but not attached. DFAS Worksheet missing. Returns.
• Status change (parent's income rose, student dropped out, ward returned home) never reported. Marine continues claiming. Becomes a fraud risk.
• USIP holder approaches the four-year mark, no recertification submitted. Card suspends.

Where to Go Next

• BAH error catch for the parallel BAH rate verification.
• Allotment review for the cash flow hygiene.
• Marine view of the secondary dependency process at the cross-role link.