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Facts You Should Learn When Involving 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 actual amount of reimbursement provided depends on the cause of death. If the death was not related to the veteran's service, then the VA provides two separate payments. One is a payment of up to $700 for expenses attributable to burials and funerals, and another $700 is offered as a plot-interment allowance if the burial plot is not 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.
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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