Burial Allowance

The most important thing for a veteran to remember is that burial benefits to include the flag and the military funeral honors cannot be provided without a copy of your military discharge. Please make sure you have your discharge and that someone in your family knows where it is kept!

A burial allowance is available from the Department of Veterans Affairs if you have paid for the veteran’s funeral and have not been reimbursed by a government agency or some other source and at least one of the following exist:

  • the Veteran died because of a service-related disability
  • the Veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation at the time of death
  • the Veteran was entitled to receive VA pension or compensation, but decided not to reduce his/her military retirement or disability pay
  • the Veteran died while hospitalized by VA, or while receiving care under VA contract at a non-VA facility
  • the Veteran died while traveling under proper authorization and at VA expense to or from a specified place for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care
  • the Veteran had an original or reopened claim pending at the time of death and has been found entitled to compensation or pension from a date prior to the date or death
  • the veteran died on or after October 9, 1996, while a patient at a VA-approved state nursing home.

 

 

Amount of Burial Allowance

Non-service-connected Death
The VA will pay up to $700.00 toward burial and funeral expenses for deaths that occurred on or after October 1, 2011 if hospitalized by the VA at the time of death. The VA will pay $300.00 toward the burial and funeral expenses and $700.00 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery) for deaths that occurred on or after October 1, 2011. If the death happened while the Veteran was in a VA hospital or under VA contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the Veteran's remains may be reimbursed.

Service-connected Death
VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for deaths on or after September 11, 2001 that have been determined to be service connected.