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Veterans eBook
This eBook contains valuable information about burial benefits available to veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers financial assistance and benefits that can help veterans plan a healing and meaningful funeral ceremony.
No, the VA will not pay for a veteran’s funeral in full. This applies to both cremation services and traditional funerals. However, the VA does provide a specified amount, called a burial allowance, to help offset the cost of either burial or cremation for eligible veterans.
Yes. A veteran is not eligible for standard burial benefits if they:
Burial in any open VA national cemetery is available to eligible veterans. This includes, at no cost to the family:
For those buried in a private cemetery, the VA provides burial and plot allowances, government-issued headstone, burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military honors.
The Department of Defense, through a program called “Honoring Those Who Served,” is responsible for providing military funeral honors. In most cases, the military personnel who participate do so on a volunteer basis. Keep in mind, military honors must be requested, and they will vary, depending on status, rank, and place of burial.
The most common military honors are:
In some cases, it may be possible to request additional honors, such as:
To learn what your veteran is eligible to receive, contact the VA directly.
You can visit the Veterans Affairs' website at www.va.gov, or you can call at any of the numbers below.
National Cemetery Scheduling Office: 800-535-1117
Headstones and markers: 800-697-6947
VA benefits hotline: 800-827-1000
MyVA411 main information line: 800-698-2411
If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 711.
Circle of Friends+ provides you with resources on grief support and settling affairs, sent to you via text and email.
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