If you are planning (or preplanning) a funeral for a veteran, we want to make sure you know exactly what benefits you are entitled to receive, based on eligibility requirements set by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition to helping you understand your VA benefits, we also provide several unique elements and funding options for veterans and service members.
Through the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran death benefits help offset the cost of burial, funeral, and transportation associated with the deceased veteran’s services and disposition. The benefits differ depending on whether you choose interment at a private cemetery or a veteran cemetery, but no matter which you choose, there are benefits available to eligible veterans.
We recommend that you read the Veterans eBook below to familiarize yourself with the VA benefits available to you, and then, we can schedule a time to discuss your options in person or over the phone.
This eBook contains valuable information about burial benefits available to veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers financial assistance and benefits that can help veterans plan a healing and meaningful funeral ceremony.
No, the VA will not pay for a veteran’s funeral in full. This applies to both cremation services and traditional funerals. However, the VA does provide a specified amount, called a burial allowance, to help offset the cost of either burial or cremation.
Yes. A veteran is not eligible for standard burial benefits if they:
Burial in any open VA national cemetery is available to eligible veterans. This includes, at no cost to the family:
For those buried in a private cemetery, the VA provides burial and plot allowances, government-issued headstone, burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military honors.
The Department of Defense, through a program called “Honoring Those Who Served,” is responsible for providing military funeral honors.
In most cases, the military personnel who participate do so on a volunteer basis. Keep in mind, military honors must be requested, and they will vary, depending on status, rank, and place of burial.
The most common military honors are:
In some cases, it may be possible to request additional honors, such as:
To learn what your veteran is eligible to receive, contact the VA directly.
To ensure that you don’t miss any step of the process, don’t forget to download our Veterans' Burial Benefits Checklist by clicking here: Veterans' Burial Benefits Checklist.
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