Survivor benefits, and why so many families never claim them.
When a Nevada Test Site or DOE worker dies of a covered illness, the family may be owed compensation of their own, even if the worker never filed, was denied, or passed years ago. It is one of the most overlooked benefits in the program. Here is who qualifies, what it pays, and how to claim it.
Who can file as a survivor.
If the worker’s illness was accepted, or would have been, the people closest to them may qualify.
EEOICPA survivor benefits are paid, in order of priority, to:
- The surviving spouse, first.
- Children, if there is no surviving spouse (and in some cases alongside a spouse under Part E).
- Parents, then grandchildren, then grandparents, under Part B, when there is no spouse or child.
The worker does not need to have filed. You can file as a survivor even if your family member never started a claim, was denied during their lifetime, or died long ago. What matters is the work and the illness, not whether a form was ever submitted.
What survivor benefits pay.
Survivors can receive lump-sum compensation under one or both parts of the program. The Department of Labor sets the amounts; these are the figures, for context.
A one-time, tax-free lump sum when a worker died of a covered Part B illness, divided among eligible survivors.
For a death tied to toxic exposure. More may be payable based on the worker’s years of wage loss before death.
A family may qualify under both parts. Amounts, eligibility, and any additions for wage loss are determined by the Department of Labor and depend on the worker’s history.
How to file, step by step.
- File Form EE-2, the claim for survivor benefits, with the Department of Labor’s Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC).
- Document the employment with Form EE-3, showing where and when the worker was employed at a covered facility.
- Provide the medical and death records that connect the covered illness to the death.
- The DOL reviews the claim and, if accepted, pays the eligible survivors.
You never pay anyone a percentage of the award. Two no-cost resources exist specifically to help survivors file.
DOL Las Vegas Resource Center
(702) 697-0841
The primary, no-cost help for Nevada Test Site families. They assist with survivor filing, records, and benefit questions at no charge. If you think you may qualify, start here.
An Authorized Representative who specializes in EEOICPA can also file and manage a survivor claim for you. Alara does not file claims, that is the role of the Resource Center and Authorized Representatives, but we will tell you what your options look like and point you to the right people.
Radiation deaths: there may be a second path.
If the worker was a uranium worker or was exposed through atmospheric nuclear testing, the family may also have a claim under RECA, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which reopened in 2025. RECA is filed with the Department of Justice, separately from EEOICPA, and has its own survivor provisions and a filing deadline of December 31, 2027.
Where Alara fits.
We are a nurse-owned home health agency, not a claims filer. If a living family member has a White Card and needs skilled care at home, that is what we provide, at no cost to you for the accepted condition. And when you are trying to understand a survivor benefit, we will walk you through it and connect you to the Resource Center or an Authorized Representative who can file it. The claim and the care, handled by people who will not hand you off.
Reviewed by Alara’s Director of Nursing, RN. General information, not a determination of eligibility; the Department of Labor determines survivor eligibility and amounts. Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, DEEOIC · U.S. Department of Justice, RECA.
Not sure if your family qualifies?
Start a case review and a nurse reads your family member’s work and illness, tells you what may be owed, and points you to the free help to file.