Six Categories of Survivor’s Benefits: Burial Benefits

Survivor’s benefits are awarded to the survivors of deceased veterans, awarded based on the veteran’s service and/or service-connected disabilities.

Who is eligible? A surviving spouse; dependent children under the age of 18; children who are over 18 but permanently incapable of self-support; dependent parents, based on income; and persons who paid the veteran’s funeral expenses. 

There are six categories of survivor’s benefits; the sixth and final is Burial Benefits. The Veterans Administration (VA) will pay for burial and funeral expenses of certain eligible Veterans. The payout is based on a maximum allowable amount and is not a reimbursement for actual costs.

There are two levels of payout based on the circumstances of the death:

• Service-related death. VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for deaths post-9/11, or up to $1,500 for pre-9/11 deaths. Some or all costs related to the transportation of remains may be reimbursed if the veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery. 

• Non-service-related death. VA will pay up to $796 in burial benefits for deaths occurring on or after 10/1/2019, or $300 toward burial/funeral and a $796 plot-interment allowance if the veteran is not buried in national cemetery.

To find out more about burial benefits, click here.

Contact a VVA Veteran Service Officer to assist with your claim in states that have a benefits program here, or search for a VSO from another organization through the VA’s website in states where VVA does not. Enter your ZIP code or city and state, and you’ll see which VSOs serve your area.