My Dad Was a Veteran. Can the VA Help Me Pay For His Burial?

Dealing with the death of a parent is difficult, and worrying about how to pay for their funeral expenses only contributes to the stress of the event. Many children of veterans are unaware of the fact that they can receive burial benefits to help pay for expenses associated with their parent’s death. If your parent was a veteran who was entitled to a VA pension or died at a VA hospital, a VA nursing home, or a state veterans’ nursing home, you are eligible for a $300 burial allowance from the VA. Additionally, if your parent died of a service-connected condition, you could receive up to $2,000 in benefits. However, if he was receiving another type of monetary compensation at the time of his death, the maximum benefit is reduced to $300 for the burial and $300 for the plot.

All veterans are eligible to receive a headstone and marker or medallion, a flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate from the VA as well. Family members who wish for their relative to be buried in a VA national cemetery will need a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers and will need to contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office as soon as possible.

In order to receive the burial benefit, you must submit a form to the VA showing that you personally paid out of pocket for burial expenses. After the VA reviews this form, you will receive your benefit as a reimbursement for your expenses. For more information or to see the application for burial benefits, you can visit the following website: http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-530-ARE.pdf.