Burial and Memorial Benefits
Nearly every honorably discharged veteran is entitled to burial in a national cemetery at no cost to the family, along with a headstone, a marker, and a burial flag. Families often pay for all of it privately, simply because nobody told them.
Burial benefits are the most broadly available benefit in the VA system and among the least used. The reason is timing. These benefits become relevant during the worst week of a family's life, when nobody is researching federal programs, and funeral arrangements get made within days.
This page is worth reading before you need it. Much of what follows can be arranged in advance.
An eligible veteran can be buried in a VA national cemetery with no charge to the family. That includes:
Spouses and dependent children may also be buried in a national cemetery alongside the veteran, generally at no cost, even if they die first. This surprises many families, who assume the benefit covers the veteran alone.
Eligibility is generally tied to the veteran's service and discharge. A discharge under conditions other than dishonorable is the usual standard, which is broader than many people assume.
VA furnishes a headstone or grave marker at no cost for an eligible veteran, and this applies whether the veteran is buried in a national cemetery, a state or tribal veterans cemetery, or a private cemetery. For a veteran already buried in a private cemetery with a privately purchased headstone, VA can instead provide a bronze medallion to affix to the existing stone, marking the grave as a veteran's.
VA provides a United States flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn, which is then given to the next of kin. Funeral homes generally have the request form on hand, and flags can also be obtained through a VA regional office or many post offices.
Families may also request a Presidential Memorial Certificate, a printed certificate bearing the President's signature honoring the veteran's service. More than one can be requested, so multiple family members can each have one.
Separately from cemetery benefits, VA may pay a monetary allowance toward burial and funeral costs. The amount depends on whether the death was service-connected.
VA may pay up to $2,000 toward burial and funeral expenses. This figure is set by federal statute rather than adjusted annually for inflation, so it has held steady for years while the non-service-connected rates have climbed.
For deaths on or after October 1, 2025, VA may pay a burial allowance of $1,002, plus a plot or interment allowance of $1,002 when the veteran isn't buried in a national cemetery. These amounts are adjusted annually.
A 2023 rule change simplified this considerably. The old system paid different amounts depending on whether the veteran happened to be hospitalized by VA at the time of death, which produced some harsh outcomes. That distinction was replaced with a single, more generous rate.
VA may also reimburse the cost of transporting the veteran's remains, including to state and tribal veterans cemeteries as well as national cemeteries, in qualifying circumstances such as when the veteran died while in VA care or while traveling to VA-authorized care.
This is the detail worth carrying away from this page. For a non-service-connected death, a claim for the burial allowance must be filed within two years of the veteran's burial or cremation. Miss that window and the allowance is gone.
For a service-connected death, there's no time limit on filing for the burial, plot, or interment allowance.
Claims are filed on VA Form 21P-530EZ, the Application for Burial Benefits. If a veteran in your family died within the last two years and nobody filed, it is worth checking now rather than assuming the moment has passed.
VA offers a pre-need eligibility determination. You apply while the veteran is still living, and VA decides in advance whether they're eligible for burial in a national cemetery. The family then holds that determination on file.
It removes a genuine burden. Instead of hunting for a DD-214 and calling federal offices in the days after a death, the answer is already settled and the family simply contacts the cemetery.
Being honest about the limits: the burial allowance is a contribution toward costs, not full coverage. A typical funeral costs several times the allowance. The cemetery benefits, the gravesite, the headstone, the opening and closing, carry far more value for most families than the cash allowance does, which is why the national cemetery option is worth understanding before arrangements are made privately.
Burial benefits are often the first thing a family looks into and rarely the only thing they qualify for. A surviving spouse may also be eligible for DIC, the Survivors Pension, or CHAMPVA health coverage. VetGap's free questionnaire has a survivor path that checks all of them at once and points you to a VSO who can help you file at no cost.
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This page provides general information about VA benefits based on publicly available federal regulations and VA guidance. It is not legal advice. Eligibility is determined by the VA based on your specific circumstances. Consult a VA-accredited claims agent, attorney, or VSO representative for guidance on your situation.