Veterans' Benefits

Haywood Funeral Home will work with you to make sure your loved one receives the burial benefits they earned through serving our country. To request funeral benefits, you will need to provide our funeral director with a copy of your loved one's military discharge papers, or DD 214/Separation Documents. This document is necessary to establish proof of eligibility for burial benefits. If you do not already have a copy of the discharge papers, you may go online and request them at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

For the purpose of receiving funeral benefits or compensation for expenses associated with final arrangements, a “veteran" is defined as one of the following:

• Someone who is currently serving, or has served, as a member of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard)
  
• Members of Reserve Components and Reserve Officers Training Corps
  
• Commissioned Officers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  
• A Commissioned Officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service
  
• World War II Merchant Mariners
  
• The Philippine Armed Forces
  

For detailed information on determining veteran status as it pertains to funeral benefits, visit http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/eligible.asp

Depending on the chosen final arrangements, specific funeral benefits are administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or by the state in which the burial or inurnment takes place.

Government Benefits include:

• Burial or Inurnment in a National Cemetery
  
• Headstone or Marker
  
• Burial Flag
  
• Presidential Memorial Certificate
  
• Scattering of Cremated Remains at Sea
  
• Burial at Sea for Intact (Casketed) Remains
  

State Benefits include:

• Burial or inurnment in a State Cemetery
  

The VA or the state will pay some of the expenses incurred in the burial of our country's veterans. Not every veteran's funeral expense is covered, although most of the normal expenses you might incur will be reimbursed.

VA burial allowances are partial reimbursements of an eligible veteran's burial and funeral costs. When the cause of death is not service connected, the reimbursements are generally described as two payments: (1) a burial and funeral expense allowance, and (2) a plot or interment allowance.

To learn if you are eligible for a burial allowance, review the checklist at http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/burials/burial.pdf

$2,000.00 – Cash Benefit

Eligibility Requirements:

• Death occurred while on active duty
  
• Veteran died of a service related injury
  

$700.00 – Cash Benefit (for veterans who die at a VA Hospital) – updated July 14, 2014

Eligibility Requirements:

• Burial or cremation allowance
  
• Burial plot allowance when not buried in a cemetery under US Government jurisdiction
  
• As of July 14, 2014, for deaths occurring after Oct. 1, 2011, the burial/funeral and plot/interment allowance has been increased to $734.
  

$300.00 – Cash Benefit (for veterans who die outside of a VA Hospital)

Eligibility Requirements:

• Veteran receiving VA pension or VA disability pension at the time of death
  
• Burial or cremation allowance
  
• Burial plot allowance when not buried in a cemetery under US Government jurisdiction
  

Transportation Allowance for Deceased Veterans:

• Transportation expenses reimbursed from place of death to funeral home (or crematory), if death occurred at VA hospital
  
• Transportation expenses from funeral home (or crematory) to a cemetery under US Government jurisdiction - if veteran died of service related injury, was receiving a VA pension or disability, or died in a VA hospital
  

You can apply by filling out VA Form 21-530, Application for Burial Benefits. You can find this form online at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/

You will need to attach a copy of the Veteran's military discharge document (DD 214 or equivalent), death certificate, funeral and burial bills. The bills should show that you have paid them in full.

Haywood Funeral Home will be glad to assist you in filing for veterans' benefits. Please contact one of our funeral directors to let us know how we may help.