VA burial benefits: what the VA pays and what it does not

The VA's burial allowance is money that helps pay back the costs of a burial, a funeral, and a plot (the grave site). The VA's page lists these amounts. We checked it on November 1, 2026.

Source: VA's Veterans burial allowance page, last updated October 30, 2026. The amounts for deaths that were not service connected change each October 1.

What "service connected" means. The VA counts a death as service connected if it came from an illness or injury caused, or made worse, by active duty.

The VA can also pay back the cost of moving the remains for burial in a national cemetery. Keep every receipt in your name.

The veteran must not have had a dishonorable discharge. One of these must also be true:

• The death was service connected.
• The veteran died while getting VA care, at a VA place or one the VA hired.
• The veteran died while traveling, with approval, at the VA's cost.
• The veteran had a claim for VA pay pending when they died.
• The veteran was getting a VA pension or disability pay, or could have.

The VA does not pay this allowance for a death on active duty.

Who can apply. A spouse, child, parent, the person in charge of the estate, a family member or friend, or a funeral home or cemetery can apply.

Spouses may not need to apply. If the VA has a surviving spouse on file, it says it pays a set amount to eligible spouses on its own once it learns of the death.

Time limits. For most claims you must file within 2 years after the burial. There is no time limit if the death was service connected, or if you are claiming the plot allowance.

This is often the biggest VA benefit. The VA says these come at no cost to the family:

• A grave site in any VA national cemetery with space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Care of the grave forever
• A government headstone or marker
• A burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate

Family members can qualify too. A spouse or surviving spouse can be buried there, even if they remarried after the veteran died. So can a minor child, and in some cases an unmarried adult child who depends on the veteran.

Plan ahead. You can ask the VA to confirm eligibility before a death. This is called a pre-need eligibility decision. It saves your family a step later.

These items are also available when a veteran is buried in a private cemetery:

• Headstone or marker. The VA gives a free headstone or marker to any veteran buried in a private cemetery. If the grave already has a private headstone, you can ask for a medallion to attach to it instead. A veteran gets one or the other, not both.
• Burial flag. Next of kin or a close friend can ask for one. Fill out VA Form 27-2008. Give it to the funeral director, a VA regional office, or a post office. Call the post office first to make sure it has flags.
• Presidential Memorial Certificate. This is a paper certificate signed by the President. At a national cemetery, the family gets it at the burial. If the burial is private, a family member or close friend can apply.

VA help is real, but it leaves gaps. Plan for these:

• Funeral home costs. The VA says anything from a funeral home or cremation office is at the family's expense, even with a national cemetery burial.
• Costs above the allowance. The allowance has a top amount. Any bill above it is yours.
• Money up front. The allowance mostly pays you back after the burial. Someone has to pay first.
• Some deaths. A veteran with a dishonorable discharge, or one who meets none of the rules above, does not qualify for the allowance.

To see what a funeral can cost, read how much a funeral costs. Some families also use the Social Security death benefit, but it is only a one-time payment to a spouse or child.

People who search for "veterans burial insurance" often find private ads. The VA has its own policy, called VALife. It is whole life insurance, which means it lasts for life.

• Who can get it. Veterans age 80 or younger with a VA service-connected disability rating, even a 0% rating. Some veterans 81 or older can qualify if they apply within 2 years of a new rating.
• How much. Up to $40,000, in steps of $10,000.
• No health questions. Acceptance is guaranteed if you are eligible.
• A 2-year wait. Full coverage starts 2 years after you apply. If you die in those 2 years, your beneficiary (the person who gets the money) gets back the premiums you paid, plus interest.

VALife is insurance you pay for. It is not free. We do not list prices here. To learn how private policies of this kind work, see final expense insurance. Service members can read about SGLI.

To claim the burial allowance, apply online at VA.gov or mail VA Form 21P-530EZ with copies of your papers.

Applying for VA benefits is free. The FTC warns that scammers may offer to do the paperwork for a fee and promise benefits. The VA will never call, text or email out of the blue to ask for your card or bank number. If someone helps you, make sure the VA has accredited them.

If an ad promises a large "government" payment for funerals, read is the final expense program legit first.