Veterans have many benefits and services available to them through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The National Cemetery Administration offers burial and plot allowances, markers, and other services.
The Veterans Benefits Administration offers financial services, health care, and other benefits.
Other outside agencies offer support and services.
Note that there are eligibility requirements for all benefits and services. To browse topics on VA resources and support, go to: www.va.gov/resources
Services Offered by VA’s National Cemetery Administration
Burial
Burial in a VA national cemetery is available for eligible Veterans, their spouses, and their dependents at no cost to the family. It includes the following:
Gravesite
Perpetual care
Opening and closing of the grave
Headstone or marker
For Veterans, benefits also include:
A burial flag.
A medallion.
Military funeral honors.
Presidential Memorial Certificates (PMC), if requested by family members and other loved ones of deceased Veterans.
Bereavement Counseling
VA Vet Centers provide bereavement counseling to all family members, including spouses, children, parents, and siblings of Service members who died while on active duty. This includes
Benefits Offered by VA’s Benefits Administration
Financial benefits are offered for surviving spouses and dependents. They include:
Dependency and indemnity compensation.
A survivor's pension.
A life insurance and Department of Defence (DoD) death gratuity.
The Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) and Service members’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) are life insurance products offered to Veterans and active-duty personnel. Both programs are voluntary and Service members and Veterans may opt out.
The DoD extends a death gratuity payment to beneficiaries identified by the Service member before deployment.
A VA home loan guarantee.
Educational Benefits for Dependents and Survivors
VA provides educational assistance in the form of the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program to qualifying dependents.
Health Care Benefits for Survivors
Under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), certain dependents and Survivors can receive reimbursement for most medical expenses, including:
Outpatient.
Inpatient.
Mental health.
Prescription medication.
Skilled nursing care.
Durable medical equipment.
Decision Review Appeals – Reviewing Benefit Decisions
Veterans and other claimants for VA benefits have the right to request a review of decisions made by a VA regional office, medical center, or National Cemetery Administration
Typical issues appealed are disability compensation, pension, education benefits, recovery of overpayments, reimbursement for unauthorized medical services, and denial of burial and memorial benefits. A claimant usually has one year from the date of the notification of a VA decision to file an appeal.
Outside Agencies Offering Support to Survivors
The DoD offers extensive services to the surviving family of Service members who died on active duty.
The Social Security Administration offers benefits to surviving families based on the earning history of the deceased.
The Office of Personnel Management extends Veterans preference hiring status to the spouses and surviving spouses of active-duty military; 100% disabled Veterans; Veterans killed in action or who have died due to a service-connected injury or illness.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Many VA benefits available to Survivors and their dependents are tax-exempt.
The American Battle Monuments Commission. “No-fee” passports may be available to immediate family members (spouse, children, parents, brothers, and sisters) to visit their loved one’s grave or memorialization site at an American military cemetery on foreign soil.
Honor the sacrifices of the Veterans and their families in your community by guiding them to the many benefits and services they have earned. Explore our extensive library to find the Veteran's products right for you.