|
What You Should Know When Thinking About Veterans Funeral 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.
All the help the government provides in this regard is basically categorized under two broad categories. The first lot comes under the reimbursements offered by the VA for funerals and burials. The National Cemetery Administration subsequently provides the gravesite and its subsequent care.
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.
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.
|
|
