(Newswire.net — April 28, 2022) — If you or a loved one served honorably in the military, you might be eligible to receive VA burial benefits. The VA burial benefits can help cover the funeral and burial expenses. In addition, if you die while serving in combat or training for combat, you are eligible for these benefits. Here are some of the things you should know about VA burial benefits.
1. The Benefits are Not Only for Combat Veterans
The VA burial benefits are not limited to combat veterans. Anyone who has served honorably in the military is eligible for these benefits, as they are available to anyone who served honorably in the armed forces. Service includes training, service on active duty, or service while mobilized or serving on federal orders. Therefore, if you were not serving on active duty at your death, you might still be eligible for these benefits. Moreover, veterans’ spouses or minor children are also eligible. In some circumstances, eligibility extends to unmarried adult dependent children.
2. The Benefits are Not Only for Military Cemeteries
You may also be eligible for these benefits if you choose a civilian burial. If you are eligible, the benefits will cover the cost of the funeral and burial expenses. Your family may be able to use these benefits if they can prove that they paid for your funeral expenses or chose a civilian burial. However, some states allow active-duty military personnel only to use their VA burial benefits at military cemeteries. Moreover, the VA will issue free standard headstones or markers to all veterans who wish to be buried in private cemeteries. You need to meet some eligibility criteria, but combat service is not required to receive it.
3. The Benefits are Underutilized
Many veterans are not using these benefits. The VA claims that more than 1.5 million veterans and surviving spouses are eligible for these benefits, but only 750,000 have claimed them. These benefits are also available to family members or friends of veterans who died on active duty – under certain eligibility criteria.
4. The Benefits Are Tax-Free
The VA burial benefits are tax-free for any veteran or surviving spouse who has paid for the funeral expenses, regardless of the amount of money spent on the funeral or the type of service performed. If they spent less than $3,000 for a funeral or less than $1,000 on burial expenses, you would be able to receive these tax-free benefits from the VA. If you paid more than $3,000 in funeral expenses and more than $1,000 in burial costs, you would have to pay income taxes on the amounts you paid.
5. You May Qualify for Other Benefits
The VA burial benefits are not the only benefits available to veterans and surviving spouses who choose a military burial. You may also qualify for other VA benefits such as burial allowances and committal fees. Suppose you die while your spouse is still living. In that case, your spouse may also be eligible for certain VA benefits such as survivor allowances, dependent’s allowances, and a monthly survivor benefit check.
6. Families Should Get Expense Reimbursements
If you are a surviving spouse and you choose to have your spouse buried at a VA cemetery, you will likely be able to receive some of the funeral expenses back from the VA. However, you may not be able to get every dollar back that you paid for the funeral.
For example, suppose your spouse used $3,000 for the funeral expenses but only spent $1,000 on burial costs. Suppose this is true and your spouse did not claim any other benefits from the VA, such as burial allowances or veteran benefits. Therefore, your spouse may only be entitled to receive 60% of the expenses they paid for the funeral. However, suppose your spouse claimed burial allowances or veteran benefits for more than $3,000 in funeral expenses and more than $1,000 in burial costs. In that case, your spouse may be able to receive 100% of all of their expenses back from the VA.
Contact Expert Lawyer to Claim and Enjoy These Benefits
Suppose you are interested in learning more about military burials and their rules. In that case, it is best to contact a military law attorney who can assist you with your questions. You may search online for a VA disability lawyer from Rhode Island or a VA military burial lawyer to learn more about the requirements, eligibility criteria, and rules that govern military burials and VA burial benefits.
About the author:
How does one combine a passion for journalism with a strong sense of justice? For Crystal Davis, the choice was simple: legal journalism. Born and raised in a family of attorneys but wanting to approach the law from an investigative angle, Crystal decided that people would not hear her voice in the court, but online, in magazines, journals, and other platforms. When she is not studying active lawsuits closely to report on them, she writes public-friendly articles detangling the complicated threads representing the American legal system.