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Facts You Should Learn When Considering Funeral Benefits For Veterans
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 cause of death determines how much the VA will be able to shell out in reimbursements. In cases where the death is not related to military service, the families are entitled for two payments. One $700 payment covers the cost of ceremonies and rites. A second payment is an allowance for plot-interment of up to $700 if the grave is not in a national cemetery.
The family of a veteran who dies of an injury or disability sustained during military service will get up to $2,000. This is a single payment, instead of two different amounts for different purposes. The cemetery expenses and care of the gravesite is handled by the National Cemetery Administration.
The National Cemetery Administration has 131 national cemeteries available. Any one may serve as the last resting place for a deceased veteran, who is also given a marker or headstone along with a burial flag. The families are given Presidential Memorial Certificates, and grave opening and closing along with perpetual care is provided to the family at no cost.
Note that veterans funeral benefits are not available for dependents, even though they are entitled to a grave in the same cemetery as the veteran. The government does, however, arrange for inscribing their names and birth/death dates on the veteran's headstone. All this is done irrespective of the order of their deaths, so everything is arranged for even though advance reservations are not allowed.
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