When my grandmother passed away, I was astonished to learn that I had been named the executor of her estate. After splitting up her belongings amongst my aunts and uncles, I turned my attention to planning her funeral. I didn't know where to start. Fortunately, I was able to find an excellent funeral home that understood how to help people plan beautiful memorial services. It was amazing to go through the process of planning the music, the speakers, and even the set-up of the room. This blog is all about planning gorgeous memorial services for the people that you love so that you aren't left grappling with difficult decisions.
The United States Veterans Affairs office provides several burial and funeral services benefits to families of members of the armed forces who have passed away. These benefits are designed to provide some financial relief for family members and to ensure that every service member receives a proper and dignified service. If you have a family member who is a veteran, here is what you need to know about these important benefits.
Burial Benefits
The VA office will pay surviving spouses a flat rate for the burial and plot or internment allowance. This flat rate option enables the payment to get to the spouse more quickly to help them with burial cost reimbursement. The spouse must file a claim with VA in order to receive the burial benefit reimbursement. How much family members receive will depend on the reason for the veteran's death. If the deceased passed away from a non-service reason, spouses will receive $300 towards burial costs, and if the death was service related, they will receive $2,000.
Funeral Benefits
Every veteran of the US armed forces is entitled to be buried in a national cemetery if their family member chooses. They will also receive a granite or marble headstone and an American flag to be placed at the grave site. The family is typically responsible for the funeral service itself as well as transportation of the body to the cemetery. The military will cover the cost of the preparation of the body, the casket, and internment if the veteran has died while in active duty. If the death was a result of a serviced related injury, there will be an allowance to cover the funeral director's expense, casket, and transportation to the cemetery, but the total amount covered is typically determined on an individual case-by-case basis.
Service Information
When a veteran passes away, military honors are performed during the ceremony. This includes presentation of the American flag to the living spouse or parents. These honors are usually performed by local military installations or veterans groups. A fly-over can be requested for those veterans who were on active duty at the time of their death. The next of kin may also request a Presidential Memorial Certificate if they choose, and more than one can be requested. All of the burial and funeral benefits and service requests should be applied for directly through the VA to ensure that family members receive all of the correct benefits they have earned.
Share27 January 2016
