Veterans
Benefits and Information|
Veterans
Benefits and Information |
| Monetary and Cemetery Benefits |
The Veterans Administration has traditionally provided monetary benefits to help defray the cost of the funeral and cemetery expenses of a deceased veteran. However, budget cutbacks over the last few decades have drastically reduced not only the amount of these benefits, but also who is eligible to receive them.
Although certain monetary benefits still exist, the primary benefit provided to a deceased veteran is burial at a national (veterans) cemetery. This means that the grave, outer burial container, marker, and the labor associated with opening and closing of the grave is all provided without charge. This does not however, defray the costs for the funeral services, casket, or any other expenses incurred at the funeral home, which remain the family's responsibility.
A general outline of the benefits available is shown below:
| Burial In A National (Veterans) Cemetery | |
| Who Is Eligible | ● Retired or discharged veterans (under conditions other than dishonorable) |
| ● Members of the armed forces who die while on active duty | |
| ● Married spouses or widows/widowers of the veteran that have not remarried | |
| ● Minor dependent children of veterans, or dependents with life-long medical dependency (eligibility subject to approval) | |
| What Is Included | ● One double depth grave or companion cremation space (second space reserved for spouse) |
| ● The outer burial container (a cement vault, lawn crypt, or equivalent) | |
| ● The opening and closing of the grave | |
| ● The grave marker (with spouse to be added when needed) | |
| What Is Not Included | The funeral arrangements, casket, and any expenses related to the funeral are of the family's selection, and are not reimbursed by the VA. |
| Monetary Benefits | |
| $300. Non-VA Cemetery Plot Allowance | If burial does not take place in a national cemetery, the family may be eligible for a $300. allowance to defray the cost of the cemetery expenses. The veteran must have been discharged because of a service connected disability, receiving compensation, pension, or retirement pay, and died in a VA medical facility. |
| $300. Funeral Allowance | The family may be eligible for a $300. allowance to defray funeral costs if the veteran was receiving compensation, pension, or retirement pay, and died in a VA medical facility or a nursing facility under VA contract. |
| Disability Allowance Up To $2000. | The family may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $2000. if the veteran was disabled from a service connected disability (eligibility subject to approval). |
| Active Duty Reimbursement | Members of the armed forces who die while on active duty may have most or all funeral and cemetery expenses reimbursed to the family. A military representative will advise the family of the benefits available in these circumstances. |
| Funeral Ceremony Benefits | |
| Flag | A flag will be provided for use during the funeral ceremony (discharge papers are required to obtain the flag), which will be presented to the family. |
| Military Honors | Military honors can be requested from the appropriate branch or group, however the type of honors available will vary. See below for more information. |
| Grave Marker | A government grave marker is available without cost, regardless whether burial is at a veterans or a private cemetery (installation fees charged by a private cemetery are the family's responsibility). |
| Documentation | |
| A copy of the veteran's discharge papers from the military is needed to obtain the various benefits. In some cases, the veteran's social security number may be used to verify military service data if the discharge cannot be located. If the discharge is unavailable, and the social security number is not associated with the service data, a copy of the discharge may be obtained from the national record archives. This process can take several weeks, so it is imperative that families have access to the discharge papers prior to the time of need. | |
| Military Honors | |
Due to military
base closings and budget cutbacks, many military honor guards have beeen disbanded
in the last 15 years. This has made it difficult, and sometimes even impossible,
to obtain military honors for an eligible veteran. In response to complaints
from the families of veterans, the congress enacted legislation that
requires the armed forces to provide military honors upon request. However,
the definition of "honors" in this case means a representative to present
the flag to the family, and nothing more.Military honors has traditionally meant a flag detail, a firing party, and a bugler. Since many families would like to have these honors, many volunteer groups have formed in the last few years to supplement the military's limited availability. These groups often consist of American Legion members, Veterans of Foreign War members, ROTC groups, reserve and National Guard forces, and other veterans or retired officers. If military honors are requested, we will first try to obtain honors from the branch that the veteran served in. If full honors are not available from that branch, we will contact one of the local groups as described above. There is no guarantee though, that a group will be available at the time and location requested, and service arrangements may need to be modified to accommodate the honor guard's schedule. Many of these private groups exist through donations, which help pay for uniforms, transportation and supplies. At the time of arrangement, we can advise you if a donation would be appropriate. |
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| Contact The Veterans Administration | |
| For more
information on VA benefits, you can contact the Veterans Administration at
1-800-827-1000. The page contains generalized information provided by the Veterans Administration, and is subject to change. Each individual's situation is different, and you should contact the VA for benefit eligibility information applicable to your own situation. Photos courtesy of Riverside National Cemetery. |
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