VA BURIAL & MEMORIAL BENEFITS

Veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge are generally eligible, along with their spouse or surviving spouse and dependent children — even if the spouse dies first, and even if the spouse remarried after the veteran's death. Service members who die on active duty are eligible, as are certain Reserve and National Guard members and Public Health Service and NOAA commissioned officers. Burial in a national cemetery is free and includes the gravesite, opening and closing, a government headstone, a burial flag, and perpetual care.

Burial in a VA national cemetery costs the family nothing — the gravesite, grave liner, opening and closing, headstone or marker, and perpetual care are all provided at no charge. Costs the family still covers are the funeral home services, casket or urn, and transportation of the remains to the cemetery. The VA burial allowance is a partial reimbursement toward those private costs, not a payment to the cemetery.

Yes. The VA pre-need eligibility determination program lets you apply and receive a written decision years before it is needed. Submit VA Form 40-10007 with a copy of your DD-214. The VA keeps the determination on file, so when the time comes your family only needs to call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office rather than search for discharge paperwork during a difficult week.

Apply with VA Form 27-2008. Burial flags are issued free of charge and are available at any VA regional office and most U.S. Post Offices — funeral directors will usually handle the request for you. One flag is provided per eligible veteran, it is not replaceable if lost or damaged, and it is presented to the next of kin or a close friend after the funeral honors detail folds it.

Possibly. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly payment to eligible surviving spouses, children, and parents when a veteran dies from a service-connected condition, or when the veteran was rated totally disabled for a qualifying period before death. Survivors Pension is a needs-based benefit for low-income surviving spouses and children of wartime veterans. These are separate from burial benefits and require their own applications.