Understanding Veteran’s Funeral Benefits
Planning a veteran’s funeral presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges during a time of stress and sadness. It’s important to fully understand what benefits your family may qualify for, which may help lift some of the financial burden off of your loved ones.
What benefits can I expect?
According to the VA, their monetary burial benefits have been simplified in recent years, and can now pay eligible survivors more quickly and efficiently. The VA can now pay, without a written application, most eligible surviving spouses basic monetary burial benefits at a flat rate right away.
For a service-related death, the VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses. If the Veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the deceased may be reimbursed. For a non-service-related death, the VA will pay up to $749 toward burial and funeral expenses, (if hospitalized by the VA at time of death), or $300 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by VA at time of death), and a $749 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery.) Veteran’s spouses and dependent children also qualify for burial and funeral benefits.
We realize this can be complicated, so if you bring a copy of your DD214 (Honorable Discharge) to Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory and we will contact the VA for you and determine EXACLTY what benefits you or your loved one qualify for.
How do I know if I’m eligible for veteran’s funeral benefits?
You can read a very detailed list of eligibility requirements from the VA , but as a general rule, all honorably discharged veterans are eligible for some benefits. The veteran is disqualified if he or she was dishonorably discharged or is a federal prisoner.
Can my loved one be buried in a National VA Cemetery?
Yes, Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory can contact the VA for you or you can apply here to determine eligibility.
According VA.gov, the following benefits may be provided for burial in a National VA Cemetery:
- Opening and closing of the grave or burial of cremated remains or placement in an above-ground vault, also called a columbarium
- A government furnished grave liner
- Perpetual care of the gravesite
- A headstone or marker with an inscription
- A burial flag
- A Presidential Memorial Certificate
- Transportation of flower arrangements from the committal service shelter to the gravesite
All of us at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory salute you for your service to our nation and it would be our honor to assist you any way we can.
To determine EXACTLY what benefits you or your loved one is entitled to, simple bring us a copy of the DD214 (Honorable Discharge) and we will contact the VA on your behalf.
