VA Burial Benefits for Veterans and Spouses (2026)

VA burial and memorial benefits help cover the cost of laying a veteran to rest and honor their service, often at little or no cost to the family. Most veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge can be buried in a VA national cemetery for free, and a veteran's spouse and dependent children can often be buried there too.

This guide explains what the VA provides, who qualifies (including spouses and surviving spouses), the 2026 burial allowance amounts, how to file, and what a surviving spouse can receive.

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• Burial in a VA National Cemetery
• Can a Spouse Be Buried in a VA National Cemetery?
• Who Is Eligible for VA Burial Benefits
• Plan Ahead: Confirm Eligibility Before You Need It
• 2026 Burial Allowances
• How to Apply for VA Burial Benefits
• Other Survivor Benefits
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Burial in a VA National Cemetery

The most valuable burial benefit is also the easiest to overlook: an eligible veteran can be buried in a VA national cemetery at no cost to the family.1

That benefit covers more than the plot. When a veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, the VA provides:1

• A gravesite
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A burial liner provided by the government
• Perpetual care of the gravesite
• A government-furnished headstone or marker
• A burial flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate, an engraved certificate signed by the President honoring the veteran's service

The burial flag, the Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military funeral honors provided by the Department of Defense go to a veteran, service member, or Reservist.1

Can a Spouse Be Buried in a VA National Cemetery?

Yes, and this is the question families search for most. A veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried after the veteran's death) and the veteran's minor children, or in some cases an unmarried adult dependent child, can be buried in a VA national cemetery at no cost to the family, alongside the veteran.1 The same benefits that cover the veteran, the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care of the site, extend to an eligible family member's burial.

One point families often get wrong is the cash burial allowance. That allowance (up to $1,032 for a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, or up to $2,000 for a service-connected death, covered below) is tied to the veteran's death, and it helps the person paying the veteran's funeral and burial costs, often the surviving spouse, as long as no other organization will reimburse those costs and the veteran's death meets VA's other requirements.4,1 A surviving spouse's own later death does not trigger a separate VA cash burial allowance, but the spouse can still be buried in a national cemetery at no cost under the benefit above. If you are unsure whether a spouse or child qualifies, an accredited Veterans Service Officer can confirm eligibility before you make arrangements.

Who Is Eligible for VA Burial Benefits

Most veterans qualify for VA burial and memorial benefits. Eligibility generally extends to:1

• Most veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge
• Service members who died on active duty
• In many cases, the veteran's spouse, surviving spouse, and dependent children

That list is not the whole of who qualifies. VA sets separate rules, each with its own conditions, for other groups, including National Guard and Reserve members, ROTC members, World War II Merchant Mariners, and U.S. citizens who served in the armed forces of an allied government during a war, so a family in one of those groups should read VA's conditions for that group before concluding the answer is no.1

If a veteran received an other-than-honorable or bad-conduct discharge, the family is not automatically shut out. A character-of-discharge review or a discharge upgrade may restore eligibility.1 If you are unsure whether a discharge qualifies, an accredited Veterans Service Officer can review the record before you assume the answer is no.

Plan Ahead: Confirm Eligibility Before You Need It

You don't have to wait until a death to find out whether the VA will cover a national cemetery burial. The VA lets a veteran or a family member apply in advance for a pre-need determination of eligibility, a decision that confirms the veteran can be buried in a VA national cemetery. Having that answer on file spares your family from resolving eligibility questions in the days right after a loss.5

To apply, file VA Form 40-10007 (Application for Pre-need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery) online at VA.gov, by mail to the NCA Evidence Intake Center (PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547), or by fax to 855-840-8299. A pre-need determination confirms eligibility, but it does not guarantee a place at the cemetery you have in mind: the VA says it can't guarantee you'll be buried in your preferred cemetery, and if that cemetery isn't available at your time of need, it will help your family select another one with space. If an illness, injury, or other condition keeps the person from deciding for themselves or signing, someone may apply on their behalf, but the filer has two sets of paperwork to send: documents or an affidavit showing they are the person's court-appointed representative, caregiver (including a spouse or other relative), durable power of attorney, or the principal officer of the institution providing care, and a completed VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a. VA can't process the application until it has all of them.5

2026 Burial Allowances

Beyond a free national cemetery burial, the VA pays burial allowances, monetary reimbursements toward funeral, burial, and plot costs. The amount depends on whether the veteran's death was connected to their military service and on the date of death. VA publishes each figure below as a maximum burial allowance rather than as what a family will receive, so read every number here as a ceiling.1

Not every veteran's death generates an allowance. Beyond paying costs that no other organization, such as another government agency or the veteran's employer, will reimburse, VA requires that the veteran did not receive a dishonorable discharge and that one of these is true: the veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability; died while getting VA care at a VA facility or a VA-contracted facility; died while traveling with authorization, at VA's expense, to or from VA-authorized care; died with a VA compensation or pension claim pending that would have been granted; or died while receiving, or while eligible for, VA compensation or pension (including a veteran who took military retired pay instead). VA's benefits administration also lists a death while a patient at a VA-approved State Veterans nursing home. So a veteran who never claimed or received VA compensation or pension, and who died at home rather than in VA care, does not generate a burial allowance at all; honorable service alone isn't enough.1

The service-connected allowance is paid in place of the ordinary non-service-connected burial allowance and plot allowance, not on top of them, so a family should not budget $2,000 plus $1,032.1

The VA may also reimburse the cost of transporting the veteran's remains to the final resting place, paying you back for costs you paid directly if you have a receipt in your name. That reimbursement has conditions of its own: for a non-service-connected death, VA says it may pay back some or all of those costs if the veteran was hospitalized or in a VA-contracted nursing home at the time of death, or died while traveling to VA-authorized care; for a service-connected death, it may do so if the veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery.1

VA sets the non-service-connected amounts by the veteran's date of death, so a family filing on an older death should use the row for that date: for a death on or after October 1, 2024 but before October 1, 2025, the maximums are $978 for burial and $978 for a plot, and VA's table runs back to 2013 at lower amounts.1

The plot or interment allowance carries three conditions the dollar figure alone does not show. First, where the veteran is buried decides whether it is payable at all: it goes to a veteran who was eligible for burial in a national cemetery but was not buried in a national cemetery or other cemetery under the jurisdiction of the United States, so a burial in a VA national cemetery generates no plot payment. What that burial provides instead is the no-cost package described above. Second, the maximum is measured against what was actually spent: the VA pays the maximum plot or interment allowance to a claimant who incurred plot or interment expenses, so a family whose plot cost less than the maximum should not count on receiving the full figure, and a claimant who incurred no plot or interment expense at all is not a claimant this allowance pays. Third, the plot allowance is not a stand-alone benefit: the claimant is paid only if the veteran is also eligible for a non-service-connected burial allowance (including as a veteran who died while hospitalized by VA), or was discharged from active service for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, or had a disability at discharge, shown by official service records, that would have justified a discharge for disability.1

How to Apply for VA Burial Benefits

To claim a burial allowance, file VA Form 21P-530EZ (Application for Burial Benefits). You can submit it online at VA.gov, by mail, or in person.1

The burial allowance helps the person paying the veteran's burial and funeral costs cover some of those costs, as long as no other organization, such as another government agency or the veteran's employer, will reimburse them, and VA's other relationship and service requirements are met. So before you file, gather the funeral home's and cemetery's bills and keep your own copies.4

To process the claim, the VA reviews two things: proof of death and proof of what was paid. Have these ready:4

• The veteran's death certificate (acceptable proof of death; 38 CFR 3.211 lists the other types of evidence by which a death may be established).
• Proof of the funeral and burial expenses: either receipted bills showing you paid in whole or in part, or a statement of account on the funeral director's or cemetery owner's letterhead that names the veteran and itemizes the services, their cost, any credits, and the unpaid balance.
• A copy of the veteran's DD214 or other separation documents covering all service periods (recommended, so the VA can confirm eligibility).
• If you are also claiming the cost of transporting the veteran's remains, an itemized transportation receipt in your name.

A surviving spouse who is listed as the veteran's spouse on the veteran's VA profile does not need to file a claim at all: once the VA is notified of the death, it automatically pays eligible surviving spouses a set amount toward the plot, the cost of interment, or transportation of the remains to the cemetery.4

Pay attention to the filing deadlines:1

• There is no time limit to claim the burial or transportation allowance when the death was service-connected, or when a non-service-connected death occurred while the veteran was under VA care at a VA health facility or a facility contracted by the VA.
• There is no time limit when the death was not service-connected and you are claiming the allowance for plot or interment, or for transportation.
• There is no time limit for an eligible state or tribal organization claiming the state allowance for plot or interment.
• Otherwise, the claim must generally be filed within 2 years of the veteran's burial.
• A second, independent 2-year clock runs from a discharge upgrade granted after death. If the VA changed the veteran's discharge status after their death from dishonorable to another status, you must file a burial allowance claim within 2 years after that change. That clock runs from the change, not from the burial, so a family whose veteran was upgraded long after burial is not out of time.

A free, accredited Veterans Service Officer can help you complete and file the form correctly, which matters most when a deadline is approaching.

Other Survivor Benefits

Burial benefits are a one-time settlement of funeral and memorial costs. A surviving spouse or dependent may also qualify for ongoing monthly income through two separate VA programs.

• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly benefit for eligible surviving spouses and dependent children of service members who died in the line of duty, of veterans whose death resulted from a service-connected condition, or of veterans who had a service-connected disability rated totally disabling for a qualifying period before death (for example, at least 10 years).2,6 The 2026 base rate for an eligible surviving spouse of a veteran who died on or after January 1, 1993 is $1,699.36 per month, with additional amounts available for those who need aid and attendance, are housebound, or have dependent children.2
• Survivors Pension is a needs-based, tax-free benefit for a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse (or unmarried dependent child) of a deceased wartime veteran.3,6 For December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, the yearly limit for a surviving spouse with no dependents is $11,699 basic, rising to $18,697 with aid and attendance. Those are ceilings, not payments: VA bases the payment on the difference between the survivor's income for VA purposes and the applicable limit, and pays the benefit monthly.3,7

A survivor who is eligible for both DIC and Survivors Pension is paid whichever benefit is greater, not both at once.2 Our dedicated guides walk through each program in detail (see Learn More below). If the veteran had VA life insurance, our guide to VA life insurance for older veterans covers death claims.

Learn More

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The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.