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Facts To Learn When Considering Veterans Funeral Service Benefits
Veterans funeral benefits are not just about the one-time costs immediately after the death of a veteran. The VA provides a comprehensive range of allowances and amenities. It covers virtually all the expenses the family of a deceased veteran has to bear, ensuring a decent afterlife for soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country.
Everything the government offers in this regard is divided into two parts. One deals with the costs associated with burials and funerals. The other one comes courtesy of the National Cemetery Administration, which provides gravesites in national cemeteries and cares for the upkeep.
The maximum amount the VA can provide depends on the cause of death. For deaths that are not service-related, there will be two payments that may not exceed $700 each. One is a reimbursement of costs for funerals, burials and other rites. The other one is for interment of plots, available only for those not being buried in a national cemetery.
If the vet dies due to a service-related disability or injury, up to $2,000 may be offered for burial expenses. Note that in this case, there is only one payment. This payment doesn't have to include the burial plot within this cost, since that is arranged for separately by the National Cemetery Administration.
A deceased veteran may be buried in one of the 131 national cemeteries. Apart from the gravesite, they are entitled to a headstone or marker paid for by the government, along with a burial flag. The family also gets a Presidential Memorial Certificate. The grave opening and closing and perpetual care are taken care of at no cost to the family.
Veterans funeral benefits do not extend to spouses and dependents, who are only entitled to a grave in the same cemetery and provided perpetual care. Their names and dates of birth and death will be inscribed on the veteran's headstone. Dependents are provided graves even if they pass away before the veteran. However, graves cannot be reserved in advance.
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