The VA offers allowances to the families of deceased veterans to help defray burial and funeral costs. An eligible surviving spouse will receive the burial and funeral expenses on a reimbursement basis. Therefore, they must provide receipts or evidence of spending to receive a one-time payment.

The VA generally describes the reimbursements as two payments: a burial/cremation or funeral expense allowance and a plot interment allowance, which includes the expenses related to the final disposition of the remains. Read on to learn more about veterans’ burial benefits and their application.

Service-related burial benefits

Eligible surviving spouses of veterans who died on or after September 11, 2001, may receive a reimbursement of $2,000. If the death occurred before September 11, 2001, the spouses can receive up to $1,500. The VA will also issue some additional allowances if the veteran is buried in the VA national cemetery to help cater for some or all the costs that were incurred while transporting the veteran’s body.

Non-service-related death burial benefits

Burial and funeral expenses reimbursements for veterans who died non-service-related deaths include:

• $799 for VA hospitalized veterans whose death occurred on or after October 1, 2019
• Up to $300 for non-hospitalized veterans who died on or after October 1, 2019
• A $796 plot interment allowance if the veteran is not buried in a national cemetery
• Up to $300 for veterans who died between December 1, 2001, and October 1, 2011, as well as a $300 plot-interment allowance
• Up to $300 for VA hospitalized veterans who died between April 1, 1998, and October 1, 2011

What are the eligibility requirements for VA burial benefits?

The VA may reimburse the survivors of a veteran if;

• They paid for the veteran’s burial and funeral expenses
• They have not received compensation from any other government agencies
• The veteran received an honorable discharge
• The veteran died while receiving medical care under VA contract
• The veteran died from a service-related service

Evidence requirements for VA burial benefits

Some of the documents that the VA may require the surviving spouse of a veteran to provide include;

• Valid proof of death
• Receipts or invoices that prove payment of the veterans’ funeral expenses
• A statement of account from a funeral home. The report must include the name of the deceased, the amount paid and the services paid for.

In the past, the VA required survivors to submit a written application to receive burial benefits, which often caused a delay in the reimbursement of the allowances. However, the new burial regulations removed the written application requirement.