Death and Burials Benefits
What Are Veterans Death And Burials Benefits?
Burial benefits may include the following: gravesites for casket or cremation remains, headstones or markers, opening and closing of the graves, and continued perpetual care. Burial of eligible veterans and dependents is at no cost when interred at a national cemetery.
Associated funeral expenses are the responsibility of the veteran and/or family.
Military Funeral Honors Program
Military funeral honors are available within the State of California for honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
What types of military funeral honors are available?
At a minimum, two service representatives will render honors, sound Taps, fold the flag and present it to the next of kin. Additionally, a detail to fire volleys, a chaplain, and/or a detail to serve as pall-bearers may be provided depending on the desires of the surviving family and resources available. Frequently, funeral honors are rendered in concert with a local VSO.
You may be eligible for Veterans burial allowances if you’re paying for the burial and funeral costs and you won’t be reimbursed by any other organization, like another government agency or the Veteran’s employer. You must also meet all of these requirements.
- One of these relationships or professional roles describes your connection to the Veteran:
- You’re the Veteran’s surviving spouse (Note: We recognize same-sex marriages.), or
- You’re the surviving partner from a legal union (a relationship made formal in a document issued by the state recognizing the union), or
- You’re a surviving child of the Veteran, or
- You’re a parent of the Veteran, or
- You’re the executor or administrator of the Veteran’s estate (someone who officially represents the Veteran), or
- You’re a family member or friend who isn’t the executor of the Veteran’s estate, or
- You’re a representative from a funeral home, cemetery, or other organization
The Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and one of these circumstances must be true:
- The Veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability (a disability related to service), or
- The Veteran died while getting VA care, either at a VA facility or at a facility contracted by VA, or
- The Veteran died while traveling with proper authorization, and at VA’s expense, either to or from a facility for an examination, or to receive treatment or care, or
- The Veteran died with an original or reopened claim for VA compensation or pension pending at the time of death, and they would’ve been entitled to benefits before the time of death, or
- The Veteran died while receiving a VA pension or compensation, or
- The Veteran died while eligible for compensation or a VA pension at their time of death, but instead received full military retirement or disability pay
Or:
- The Veteran had been getting a VA pension or compensation when they died, or
- The Veteran had chosen to get military retired pay instead of compensation
Note: VA will also provide an allowance for the cost of transporting a Veteran’s remains for burial in a national cemetery.
What financial assistance or benefits are available to help cover the costs of burial and plot-interment for veterans?
VA burial allowances provide partial reimbursements for the burial and funeral costs of an eligible veteran.
How Can A VSO Assist You With Death & Burial Benefits?
Our Memorial Benefits Specialists assist with death and burial benefits, guiding you through the application process and ensuring you receive entitled support.
We can help you complete the flag application, confirm eligibility, and connect you with resources to arrange a dignified and honorable burial ceremony.
You need to submit a Presidential Memorial Certificate Request Form.
USDVA burial allowances provide partial reimbursements for the burial and funeral costs of an eligible veteran.
When the cause of death is non-service related, the reimbursements are generally described as two payments:
- A burial and funeral expense allowance, and
- A plot or interment allowance.
- Non-Service-Connected Death Burial Allowance
- Service-Connected Burial Allowance
- VA Hospitalization Death Burial Allowance
