Help Veteran Families Navigate VA Burial Benefits and Plan Ahead
Will and estate planning professionals play a key role in helping families prepare for end-of-life decisions with clarity and confidence. Veterans and their families are often unaware of their earned burial and memorial benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). By educating Veteran families about these benefits, estate planners provide not only financial guidance, but also peace of mind.
No-Cost Burial Benefits for Eligible Veterans and Spouses
VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) ensures that those who served the nation are never forgotten. VA operates more than 155 national cemeteries and maintains over four million graves to honor Veterans’ service and sacrifice. VA also funds more than 120 state, territorial and tribal Veterans cemeteries across the country. This network of cemeteries ensures that over 94% of Veterans in the U.S. live within 75 miles of a no-cost burial option for themselves and their spouses.
Eligible Veterans have earned burial benefits in a VA national or VA grant-funded cemetery for themselves, their spouses, and qualifying family members. Benefits for Veterans include:
• Burial site for casket or urn
• Government headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the burial site and cemetery grounds
• United States burial flag
• Presidential Memorial Certificates
• Memorial profile page on the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) website
These no-cost benefits can save Veteran families thousands of dollars and ensure the honor and recognition of their service that they deserve. Note that in a few cases, VA grant-funded cemeteries may have a state residency requirement or charge a fee for interment of the spouse.
The Importance of Pre-Need Eligibility Planning
Veterans and their spouses who wish to be buried in a VA national cemetery can apply to find out in advance if they are eligible. The simple, online VA pre-need burial eligibility application takes less than 10 minutes to fill out.
Encouraging clients to complete this step during the estate planning process helps:
• Confirm eligibility ahead of time
• Instill peace of mind for loved ones
• Ensure documentation is readily available when needed
• Integrate burial preferences into the broader estate plan
Advance planning is one of the most valuable gifts clients can give their families. Share NCA’s Veterans and Families web page with clients to help them better understand their earned benefits and access the VA pre-need burial eligibility application.
VA Burial Benefits in the Estate Planning Conversation
Incorporating VA burial and memorial benefits into discussions with Veteran clients and documenting their wishes ahead of their time of need can provide peace of mind to their families in the years ahead.
To support these efforts, NCA launched the Plan Today, Honor Forever Industry Professionals web page. It serves as a centralized hub of resources specifically designed for end-of-life planning professionals to find downloadable brochures, infosheets, videos, and step-by-step guidance. These tools can help estate planning professionals educate their Veteran clients on their earned benefits, simplify the planning process, and assist them in creating thoughtful end-of-life plans.
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