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Basics To Expect When Involving Veterans Funeral Benefits
Veterans funeral benefits defray the costs of a lot more besides burials. The VA has a nice set of amenities and allowances to help make it easier for military families during this difficult time. The deceased veteran's family is able to make proper arrangements and give a decent burial to honor the death of a person who put country ahead of self.
Everything the government does to help can be divided into two areas, or agencies. VA offers reimbursements to help with the expenses associated with funerals and other rites. The National Cemetery Administration takes over afterwards by offering a gravesite and taking care of it.
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 death has come about as a result of disabilities and/or injuries sustained during military service, VA is authorized to reimburse as much as $2,000. This will be provided as a single payment instead of two separate reimbursements. The expenses that come afterwards, including the gravesite upkeep, do not have to be borne by the family.
There are 131 national cemeteries, and any one may serve as a veteran's final resting place. In addition to the gravesite, the government honors the veteran with a marker or headstone and a burial flag. The family is also entitled to a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and they will not have to bear the costs of grave opening/closing and perpetual care.
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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