The amount of payment by the SBP will vary depending on the determination of whether or not you “died in the line of duty (LOD)” or due to some other circumstance. This benefit is either taken by the spouse, the former spouse, or at a children’s rate for the children of the deceased (there are specific age limits for surviving children).

Circumstances matter for both sgli and sbp, being at war matters I believe the article also explains that. Being in a warzone bumps pay automatically everyone else has to be reviewed for payment. It’s just delay and potentially payout if they say it was outside a combat zone or not combat related.