Veteran Burial Benefits: What the VA Pays For, and How to Claim It
The short answer: the VA helps with a veteran's burial in two very different ways. The first is a place to rest: any veteran who left the service under conditions other than dishonorable can be buried in a VA national cemetery, and the grave, the opening and closing, the liner, the headstone and the upkeep forever cost the family nothing. The second is money: a burial allowance paid toward funeral costs, but only in certain cases, mainly when the death was related to service, or the veteran was receiving VA compensation or pension, or died in VA care. For a death that was not service-connected, on or after 1 October 2026 the VA pays up to $1,032 toward the burial and up to $1,032 toward a plot. For a service-connected death the allowance is up to $2,000. You claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ.
The flag and Taps are covered in our guide to military funeral honors. This article is about the rest: what the VA pays, provides, and leaves to you.
Figures checked on va.gov and ecfr.gov as of October 2026. The VA adjusts the non-service-connected amounts every 1 October, and the amount that applies is set by the date of death, not the date you apply.
The Burial Allowance: Who Gets Paid, and How Much
The allowance repays someone who paid for the burial or funeral and was not reimbursed by anyone else, such as another agency or the veteran's employer. That person can be a spouse, a child, a parent, the executor, another relative or friend, or the funeral home itself.
The veteran must not have been dishonorably discharged, and one of these must be true:
- The death was the result of a service-connected disability.
- The veteran died while getting VA care, at a VA facility or one contracted by the VA.
- The veteran died while traveling, with VA authorization and at VA expense, to or from an exam or treatment.
- The veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation at death, or was eligible for it but received full military retirement or disability pay instead.
- A claim for VA compensation or pension was pending at death and would have been granted.
If none of these applies, there is usually no cash allowance. The national cemetery burial, the headstone and the flag are separate, and do not depend on it.
The amounts
| Situation | Burial allowance | Plot or interment allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Service-connected death (on or after 11 Sept 2001) | Up to $2,000 | Not paid as well, except to a state or tribal veterans cemetery |
| Not service-connected, died on or after 1 Oct 2026 | Up to $1,032 | Up to $1,032 |
| Not service-connected, died 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sept 2026 | Up to $1,002 | Up to $1,002 |
Since January 2023, the non-service-connected amounts are the same whether or not the veteran died in VA care.
Two details catch people out. The service-connected allowance replaces the others; under the regulation (38 CFR 3.1704) you do not get both the $2,000 and the plot allowance, though transportation can still be paid. And the plot allowance is only for a veteran who is not buried in a national cemetery, because there the grave is already free.
Transportation
The VA may also pay back some or all of the cost of moving the veteran's remains: to a national cemetery, or when the veteran died in a VA hospital or VA-contracted nursing home, or while traveling to VA-authorized care. Keep the itemized receipt, in your name. Without it, you cannot be repaid.
If you are the surviving spouse
You may not need to file at all. If you are listed as the spouse on the veteran's VA record, the VA automatically pays eligible surviving spouses a set amount once it receives notice of the death. Tell the VA promptly; see who to notify when someone dies. If the payment does not arrive, or you paid more than it covers, file the claim.
How to claim, and the deadline
Apply online at va.gov, or by mail with VA Form 21P-530EZ to: Department of Veterans Affairs, Pension Intake Center, PO Box 5365, Janesville, WI 53547-5365. Send copies, not originals, of:
- the death certificate, showing the cause of death;
- the DD-214 or other discharge papers;
- itemized receipts, including for transportation.
For a death that was not service-connected, file within 2 years of the burial. There is no time limit if the death was service-connected, if the veteran died in VA care, or if you are claiming only the plot or transportation allowance. Questions go to the VA benefits line, 800-827-1000 (TTY 711), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
No allowance is paid when the person died on active duty, while serving in Congress, or while serving a federal prison sentence.
Burial in a VA National Cemetery
This is the largest benefit for most families, and the one most often missed. For anyone eligible, the VA provides at no cost:
- a gravesite in any national cemetery with space
- opening and closing of the grave
- a government burial liner
- a government headstone or marker
- perpetual care of the grave
Cremated remains are welcome too. Veterans also receive a burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and the honors detail is arranged by the Defense Department.
Who can be buried there: veterans not dishonorably discharged; service members who died on active duty; a spouse or surviving spouse, even one who remarried after the veteran died; and minor children, and in some cases unmarried adult dependent children. A spouse can be buried there even if they die first. Usually the family shares one gravesite and one headstone. A divorced former spouse who is not a veteran is not eligible.
How to schedule it. You or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (TTY 711), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET. Have ready the DD-214, the person's Social Security number and dates, the next of kin's details, your preferred cemetery, casket or cremation, and the headstone inscription. Discharge papers can be faxed to 866-900-6417 beforehand.
Planning ahead
A living veteran, or a spouse, can ask the VA to confirm eligibility now, using VA Form 40-10007 or the online form. It does not reserve a particular cemetery or grave, which is not possible in advance, but at the time of need the family can call the scheduling office with the decision letter in hand instead of hunting for discharge papers. The VA may recheck eligibility then if the rules have changed.
State and tribal veterans cemeteries
Alongside the national system, many states, territories and tribes run veterans cemeteries with VA grant money. They schedule their own burials and run their own pre-need programs, so call the cemetery directly and ask what it covers for a veteran and a spouse.
Headstones, Markers and Medallions in a Private Cemetery
Burial in a hometown or church cemetery does not forfeit the memorial benefits. An eligible veteran in a private cemetery can have:
- A government headstone or marker, free, even if the grave already has a private headstone (for deaths on or after 1 November 1990), or an unmarked grave anywhere in the world. Use VA Form 40-1330.
- A bronze medallion to fix to a headstone the family bought, showing the veteran served. Use VA Form 40-1330M.
Send it with a copy of the DD-214 online through QuickSubmit, by mail, or by fax to 800-455-7143. Help line: 800-697-6947, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Two things to know. The VA provides the headstone, but the private cemetery may charge to set or place it, so ask before you order. And a spouse buried in a private cemetery does not get a VA headstone of their own; if they were eligible for a national cemetery, their name can be added to the veteran's.
The Flag and the Certificate
The burial flag comes through VA Form 27-2008, which the funeral director usually handles, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate comes through VA Form 40-0247. Both, with what happens at the graveside, are in our military funeral honors guide.
What the VA Does Not Pay For
The allowance is a capped contribution, not a promise to pay the bill. Plan on the family covering:
- Most of the funeral home's charges. Embalming, the casket, the viewing and the hearse usually cost far more than the allowance. Our guide to funeral costs shows typical prices.
- A private cemetery plot beyond the allowance, and any fees to open the grave or set a VA headstone there.
- Flowers, the obituary notice, the reception and printed programs.
- Anything for a spouse in a private cemetery: no allowance, no headstone.
A national cemetery removes the biggest single cost, the grave itself. If the family is weighing cremation or burial, remember that a national cemetery accepts both.
What to Do This Week
- Find the DD-214. Check the veteran's papers and the county recorder's office. If it is missing, the National Cemetery Scheduling Office can help verify service; tell them when you call.
- Tell the funeral director the person was a veteran, at the first meeting, and say whether you want a national cemetery.
- Call 800-535-1117 to schedule a national cemetery burial, or ask the funeral director to.
- Keep every receipt, in your own name. Itemized, especially transportation.
- Tell the VA about the death, then check whether an automatic spouse payment arrives.
- File VA Form 21P-530EZ if you qualify for an allowance and were not paid automatically. For a non-service-connected death, put the 2-year deadline in your calendar now.
- For a private cemetery, ask about setting fees, then order the headstone or medallion.
On GetMemorial
A headstone holds a name, dates and a branch. A memorial page can hold the photos, the stories and the friendships that lasted fifty years. On GetMemorial, the person who creates the memorial adds the photos and writes the life story, and anyone who signs in can leave a message. Pages can be public or "Only visible to me", and you can share one by link or by QR code, which you can save as an image and print on the service program.
Quick Answers
How much does the VA pay for a veteran's funeral? For a death that was not service-connected on or after 1 October 2026, up to $1,032 toward the burial and up to $1,032 toward a plot, if the veteran qualifies. For a service-connected death, up to $2,000. A veteran who meets none of the conditions gets no cash allowance, but can still have a free national cemetery burial.
Is burial in a national cemetery free? Yes. The grave, opening and closing, liner, headstone and perpetual care cost nothing. You still pay the funeral home.
Can a spouse be buried with a veteran in a national cemetery? Yes, including a surviving spouse who remarried. A divorced former spouse who is not a veteran cannot.
Is there a deadline to claim the burial allowance? For a non-service-connected death, 2 years from the burial. There is no deadline for a service-connected death, a death in VA care, or a claim for only the plot or transportation allowance.
GetMemorial helps families keep a veteran's story alongside the stone, with a free online memorial for the service photos, the stories and the tributes from the people who served with them.
