DD Form 137-7 "Dependency Statement - Ward of a Court"

DD Form 137 7 Instructions

The DD 137-7 contains sixteen sections overall. No blocks should be left blank: put N/A in all items that are not relevant to your experience. Remember that all dates and signatures must be notarized.

1. Section 1, Entitlements Requested, requires an X for each applicable entitlement, the date of the first application, and the status of the last application. BAH stands for Basic Allowance for Housing and USIP stands for Uniform Service Identification and Privilege Card or ID card.
2. Section 2, Member Information, is for the name, DoD ID, rank, and status of the applicant. The place of residence, telephone, email, and military service address is required to be correct - this information will be used for immediate communication.
3. Section 3 applies only to the child (ward) and consists of 5 parts meant for providing their name, ID number, date of birth, residence address, and status (married or unmarried, incapacitated, studying full-time).
4. Section 4, Ward's Residence, must be filled out correctly. Forms are regularly rejected because of incorrect or incomplete information in this section.
5. Section 5 is self-explanatory and applies only if the ward is a full-time student. The information required within the section includes the address while attending school, the type of residence, home address, and the type of residence at that address.
6. Section 6 is for listing all the people who live with the child including the child themselves. The section must not be left blank even if the service member and their child are the only residents of the household.
7. Section 7 is the Household Expenses section. Be sure not to make errors, otherwise, your claim may be rejected. See Section 10 for additional information.
8. Section 8 is for listing the ward's personal expenses. All expenses must be listed regardless of who pays for the items or services in question. These do not include the service member's personal expenses.
9. Section 9 is for listing school expenses. All expenses should be accounted for, even those that are covered by a scholarship, grant or financial aid.
10. Section 10 is self-explanatory. If the child is incapacitated and resides in a medical facility or institution full-time Section 7 must be left blank. If the child resides part-time at the facility then both Sections 7 and 10 must be completed. An official letter is required from the institution explaining all expenses and who pays for them.
11. Section 11 is filed in cases if the claimed child had any occupation within the last 12 months. Otherwise, N/A is required in all boxes.
12. Section 12 is self-explanatory and requires verification of school attendance. Supporting forms must have a school's header, name, and address, the status of the student, their graduation date, and the school's official seal.
13. Section 13 is for providing information on ane gross income made by or on behalf of the child whether taxable or not. Service members income should not be included in this section of the form.
14. Section 14 is for providing information on all monetary contributions made by the service member for purposes of caring for the child for the last 12 months. Proof of support is required for BAH. Acceptable forms of proof are AD, canceled checks, money order receipts, and western union transfers. Joint checking accounts, cash contributions or purchases are not valid. Copies of bills paid for the dependent may be provided.
15. Section 15 is for any additional remarks and Section 16 is for the signatures of all parties. All signatures and dates must be notarized.

DD 137-7 Related Forms:

• DD Form 137-3, Dependency Statement - Parent, is a form that is used for determining the dependency status and benefits eligibility of claimed dependent parents;
• DD Form 137-5, Dependency statement - Incapacitated Child Over 21, is used for establishing entitlement of authorized benefits of claimed children over the age of 21;
• DD Form 137-6, Dependency Statement - Full Time Student 21 to 22 Years of Age, is a form that determines the applicant's entitlement to authorized benefits on behalf of a full-time student between the ages of 21 and 22.