How to get veterans’ funeral, burial benefits

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Does the VA provide any special burial benefits to old veterans? My dad, who has late-stage Parkinson’s disease, served during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

— Only Child

DEAR ONLY: Most U.S. veterans are eligible for burial and memorial benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration. Veterans who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible. To verify your dad’s discharge, you’ll need a copy of his DD Form 214 “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,” which you can request at Archives.gov/veterans.

Here’s a rundown of some of the different benefits that are available to veterans that die a nonservice-related death.

National cemetery benefits

If your dad is eligible, and would like to be buried in one of the 136 national or 111 grantfunded state and tribal VA cemeteries, the VA provides a host of benefits, at no cost to the family, including: a grave site; opening and closing of the grave; perpetual grave site care; a government headstone or marker; a U.S. burial flag that can be used to drape the casket or accompany the urn (after the funeral service; the flag is given to the next-ofkin as a keepsake); and a presidential memorial certificate.

National cemetery burial benefits also are available to spouses and dependents of veterans.

If your dad is cremated, his remains will be buried or inurned in the same manner as casketed remains.

Funeral or cremation arrangements and costs are not, however, taken care of by the VA. They are the responsibility of the veteran’s family, but some veteran’s survivors are eligible for burial allowances, which are explained below.

If you’re interested in this option, the VA offers a pre-need burial eligibility determination program at www. cem.va.gov/pre-need or call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

Private cemetery benefits

If your father is going to be buried in a private cemetery, the benefits available include a free government headstone or marker, or a medallion that can be affixed to an existing privately purchased headstone or marker; a burial flag; and a presidential memorial certificate.

Funeral or cremation arrangements and costs are again the responsibility of the family, and there are no benefits offered to spouses and dependents that are buried in private cemeteries.

Military funeral honors

Another popular benefit available to all eligible veterans buried in either a national or private cemetery is a military funeral honors ceremony.

For a complete rundown of burial and memorial benefits, eligibility details and required forms, go to www.cem.va.gov or call 800-827-1000.

Burial allowances

In addition to the burial benefits, some veteran’s survivors also may qualify for a $300 burial allowance (or $780 if hospitalized by VA at time of death) and $780 for a plot, to those who choose to be buried in a private cemetery. To find out if your dad is eligible, see Benefits. va.gov/benefits/factsheets/burials/burial. pdf.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or go to SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.