Veterans who were honorably discharged from active duty and service members who die while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty may qualify for Veterans Administration (VA) burial and memorial benefits. Spouses and dependent children of veterans and active duty service members might also be eligible. This guide covers burial allowances, memorial items, and military funeral honors.
VA Burial Allowances
Purpose: These allowances partially cover the costs of burial and funeral services.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Paid for the Expenses: You must have covered the cost of the veteran’s burial or funeral.
- No Other Reimbursement: You haven’t been compensated by other sources (e.g., the veteran’s employer).
- Honorable Discharge: The veteran must have been honorably discharged.
Additional Eligibility Conditions:
- Death was due to a service-related disability.
- Veteran was receiving or eligible for VA pension or compensation at the time of death.
- Veteran died in VA care or while traveling for VA-related purposes.
- Veteran had a pending claim for compensation or pension before death.
- Veteran died in a VA-approved state nursing home on or after October 9, 1996.
Payment Amounts:
- Service-Related Deaths:
- Up to $2,000 for deaths on or after September 11, 2001.
- Up to $1,500 for deaths before September 10, 2001.
- If buried in a VA national cemetery, transportation costs may be reimbursed.
- Nonservice-Related Deaths:
- Up to $300 for burial and funeral expenses.
- Up to $300 for a plot-interment allowance (for deaths on or after December 1, 2001).
- $150 plot-interment allowance (for deaths before December 1, 2001).
- If death occurred in a VA facility or VA-contracted nursing home, transportation costs may be reimbursed.
- Special Cases:
- $700 burial and funeral allowance for veterans entitled to pension or compensation.
- $700 plot allowance for burial in a non-government cemetery under certain conditions.
Military Funeral Honors
Includes: Presentation of the U.S. flag and playing “Taps” by uniformed military members.
Request Process: Inform your funeral director, who will contact the Department of Defense (DoD) at 1-877-MIL-HONR. The VA can help arrange honors for burials in VA national cemeteries. Veteran service organizations or volunteers may also assist. More information is available on the VA’s website.
Memorial Items
- Burial Flags:
- Provided to drape a casket or accompany an urn.
- Eligibility: Veterans who served in wartime, on active duty after May 27, 1941, or under specific conditions.
- Apply using VA Form 27-2008, available on the VA’s website.
- Headstones, Markers, and Medallions:
- Headstones: Upright stones for national cemeteries.
- Grave Markers: Flat markers in bronze or granite.
- Bronze Niche Markers: For niches in columbariums.
- Medallions: Bronze devices for private headstones; available in various sizes and inscribed with “VETERAN” and service branch.
- Presidential Memorial Certificates:
- Paper certificates signed by the President to honor deceased veterans eligible for national cemetery burial.
- Apply using VA Form 40-0247, with copies of the veteran’s discharge documents and death certificate.
For further details, visit the VA’s website or contact them at 800-827-1000.