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Produced by: Vietnam Veterans of America - New York State Council and The New York State Tribute Foundation, Inc., an affiliate of the New York State Funeral Directors Association, Inc.
One of the more difficult tasks a survivor may face after the death of a beloved veteran is identifying, securing and completing the numerous claims forms to obtain VA survivors' benefits. The anxiety and fear of the unknown — who to call, what to do, or where to go for help — can be a daunting experience.
To avoid such a situation, and to ensure that those who have proudly served our nation take advantage of all the benefits to which they are entitled, veterans and their families are encouraged to organize their personal and military records as part of regular estate planning. While your funeral director can assist you with the necessary paperwork, gathering and storing these important documents now will help ease the burden and be helpful to your family at the time of need.
Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions. Reservists and National Guard members, as well as their spouses and dependent children, may also be eligible for VA burial and memorial benefits if they were entitled to retirement pay at the time of death, or would have been if they had been over age 60.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
The following documents will be needed when applying for benefits related to a veteran’s death:
- Veteran’s discharge certificate (DD Form 214) or DD Form 1300 “Report of Casualty” (provided by your Service Casualty Office)
- Veteran’s Social Security number
- Veteran’s Death Certificate (if the veteran did not die in a VA healthcare facility)
- Veteran’s Birth Certificate (to determine parents’ benefits)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Decree(s) (if any)
- Each child’s birth certificate, adoption and/or custody documents
- Social Security Numbers/Cards for all family members
- Wills and Deeds of Trust
- Government life insurance policies
FEDERAL (VA) Veterans’ burial benefits
The VA offers certain benefits and services to honor America’s deceased veterans. These include:
- Burial in a VA National Cemetery — eligible veterans, their spouses and dependents can be buried in a VA National Cemetery at no cost to the family.
- Headstones and Markers — eligible veterans are provided a headstone or marker at no cost.
- Presidential Memorial Certificates — issued upon request to recognize the military service of honorably discharged deceased veterans.
- Military Funeral Honors — at the family’s request, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will provide military funeral honors consisting of folding and presentation of the US flag and the playing of “Taps”.
- Burial Flags — Funeral directors will provide an American flag, made available by the VA, to drape an eligible veteran’s casket.
- Reimbursement of Burial Expenses — Generally, the VA will pay a burial allowance up to $2,000 if the veteran’s death is service-related. For certain other veterans, the VA will pay a $300 burial and funeral allowance and a $150 plot allowance.
BURIAL IN A NATIONAL (VA) CEMETERY
All members of the armed forces and veterans who have met minimum active service duty requirements and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible for burial in a National (VA) Cemetery. A veteran’s spouse, widow/widower, minor children, and, under certain conditions, unmarried adult children, may also be eligible for burial; eligible spouses and children may be buried, even if they pre-decease the veteran. (Note: Surviving spouses of veterans who died on or after January 1, 2000, do not lose eligibility for burial in a national cemetery if they remarry.) Burial options are limited to those available at a specific cemetery but may include in-ground casket, or interment of cremated remains in a columbarium, in ground or in a scatter garden.
Your funeral director will work with the National Cemetery Scheduling Office to make burial arrangements.
National Cemeteries in New York State
- Bath National Cemetery, Bath
- Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton
- Woodlawn National Cemetery**, Elmira
- Long Island National Cemetery**, Farmingdale
- Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville
**These cemeteries have space available for cremated remains in a columbarium only. However, casketed remains of subsequent family members in the same gravesite of previously interred family members can be accommodated.
HEADSTONES AND MARKERS
Upon request, the VA will provide a government headstone or marker for the grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world at no charge. (Note: Headstones and markers are provided for eligible spouses and dependents of Veterans only in a national, military post/base or state Veterans cemetery; spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery are not eligible for a government-furnished headstone or marker.)
For burials in a National Cemetery, a National Cemetery representative will assist the next-of-kin or authorized representative in ordering the headstone or marker. For burials in a private cemetery the next-of-kin or authorized representative may apply for a headstone or marker at the time of burial; your funeral director can assist you in obtaining the appropriate application form.
PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATES
A Presidential Memorial Certificate honors the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans. The next of kin and loved ones of a deceased veteran are eligible to request a certificate. A copy of the deceased veteran's military discharge document along with a photocopy of the death certificate must be provided when requesting a certificate.
Requests for a Presidential Memorial Certificate may be made via phone, 202-565-4259, or in person at any VA Regional Office:
Buffalo Regional Office
130 South Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
800-827-1000
New York Regional Office
245 W Houston Street
New York, NY 10014
800-827-1000
Military Funeral Honors
"Honoring Those Who Served” is the national program for providing dignified military funeral honors to veterans who have defended our nation. Upon the family's request, every eligible veteran may receive a military funeral honors ceremony, to include folding and presenting the United States burial flag and the playing of Taps. A military funeral honors detail will consist of two or more uniformed military persons, with at least one being a member of the veteran's parent service of the armed forces; veterans’ service organizations or volunteer groups may help provide honors.
Your funeral director will request military funeral honors on behalf of the veteran's family from either the U.S. DOD, NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA) or the NY National Guard.
It is important to advise your funeral director immediately if a Military Honors Ceremony is desired because it often takes 48 hours to process and implement a request for such services.
Burial flags
A United States flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran who honorably served in the U. S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a veteran's military service to his or her country. Generally, the flag is given to the next-of-kin, as a keepsake, at the conclusion of the funeral service following its use.
Your funeral director will assist you in obtaining a flag from your regional VA office or local U.S. Post Office.
REIMBURSEMENT OF BURIAL EXPENSES
If the veteran’s death was service-related, the VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for deaths on or after September 11, 2001. VA will pay up to $1,500 for deaths prior to September 10, 2001. If the veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the veteran’s remains may be reimbursed. There is no time limit for filing reimbursement claims in service-connected death cases.
If the death was non-service-related, the VA will pay up to $300 toward burial and funeral expenses and a $300 plot-interment allowance for deaths on or after December 1, 2001. The plot-interment allowance is $150 for deaths prior to December 1, 2001. If the death happened while the veteran was in a VA hospital or under VA contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the veteran’s remains may be reimbursed. In non-service-related death cases, claims must be filed within two years of burial or cremation.
To apply for reimbursement of burial expenses, complete VA Form 21-530 (Application for Burial Benefits), which is available for download 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, and funeral and burial bills marked “paid in full.”
NEW YORK STATE VETERANS’ BENEFITS
Supplemental Burial Allowance
New York State’s supplemental burial allowance provides a maximum payment of $6,000 to defray funeral and burial expenses for members of the armed forces who were residents of NYS and who were killed in combat or while on active duty in hostile/imminent danger locations on or after September 29, 2003.
Applications for this burial allowance must be received within two years of burial or cremation.
Burial of Veterans and Their Families
New York State may also make burial arrangements and provide headstones for veterans and certain family members who are unable to pay for their funeral expenses.
COUNTY BENEFITS
Benefits vary with each county in New York State. Check with your County Veterans’ Service Agency.
Albany County
518-447-771
http://bit.ly/AlbanyCoVSA
Allegany County
585-268-9387 x 387
http://bit.ly/AlleganyCoVSA
Broome County
607-778-2147
http://bit.ly/BroomeCoVSA
Cattaraugus County
716-701-3298 x 3298
http://bit.ly/CattaraugusCoVSA
Cayuga County
315-253-1281
http://bit.ly/CayugaCoVSA
Chautauqua County
716-661-8255
http://bit.ly/ChautauquaCoVSA
Chemung County
607-737-5445
http://bit.ly/ChemungCoVSA
Chenango County
607-336-6807
No Web Site
Clinton County
518-565-4720
http://bit.ly/ClintonCoVSA
Columbia County
518-828-0513
No Web Site
Cortland County
607-753-5014
http://bit.ly/CortlandCoVSA
Delaware County
607-746-2334
http://bit.ly/DelawareCoVSA
Dutchess County
845-486-2060
http://bit.ly/DutchessCoVSA
Erie County
716-858-6363
http://bit.ly/ErieCoVSA
Essex County
No County VSA
No Web Site
Franklin County
518-481-1538
No Web Site
Fulton County
518-773-3401
http://bit.ly/FultonCoVSA
Genesee County
585-343-8216
http://bit.ly/GeneseeCoVSA
Greene County
518-943-3703
veterans@discovergreene.com
Hamilton County
518-548-6651 or 648-5211
No Web Site
Herkimer County
315-867-1127
http://bit.ly/HerkimerCoVSA
Jefferson County
315-785-3086
http://bit.ly/JeffersonCoVSA
Lewis County
315-376-5316
http://bit.ly/LewisCoVSA
Livingston County
585-243-7960
http://bit.ly/LivingstonCoVSA
Madison County
315-366-2395
http://bit.ly/MadisonCoVSA
Monroe County
585-753-6040
http://bit.ly/MonroeCoVSA
Montgomery County
518-853-8152
No Web Site
Nassau County
516-572-8452
http://bit.ly/NassauCoVSA
Niagara County
716-438-4090
http://bit.ly/NiagaraCoVSA
Oneida County
315-798-5830
http://bit.ly/OneidaCoVSA
Onondaga County
315-435-3217
http://bit.ly/OnondagaCoVSA
Ontario County
585-396-4185
http://bit.ly/OntarioCoVSA
Orange County
845-291-2470
http://bit.ly/OrangeCoVSA
Orleans County
585-589-3219
http://bit.ly/OrleansCoVSA
Oswego County
315-591-9100
http://bit.ly/OswegoCoVSA
Otsego County
607-547-4224
http://bit.ly/OtsegoCoVSA
Putnam County
845-225-2260
No Web Site
Rensselaer County
518-270-2760
http://bit.ly/RensCoVSA
Rockland County
845-638-5244
http://bit.ly/RocklandCoVSA
St. Lawrence County
315-386-4754
http://bit.ly/StLawCoVSA
Saratoga County
518-884-4115
http://bit.ly/SaratogaCoVSA
Schenectady County
518-377-2738
No Web Site
Schoharie County
518-295-8304
http://bit.ly/SchoharieCoVSA
Schuyler County
607-535-2091
http://bit.ly/SchuylerCoVSA
Seneca County
315-539-1798
http://bit.ly/SenecaCoVSA
Steuben County
607-664-2198
http://bit.ly/SteubenCoVSA
Suffolk County
631-853-8387
http://bit.ly/SuffolkCoVSA
Sullivan County
845-807-0233
http://bit.ly/SullivanCoVSA
Tioga County
607-687-8228
http://bit.ly/TiogaCoVSA
Tompkins County
No County VSA
No Web Site
Ulster County
845-340-3190
http://bit.ly/UlsterCoVSA
Warren County
518-761-6342
http://bit.ly/WarrenCoVSA
Washington County
518-746-2470
http://bit.ly/WashCoVSA
Wayne County
315-946-5993
http://bit.ly/WayneCoVSA
Westchester County
914-995-2145
http://bit.ly/WestchesterCoVSA
Wyoming County
585-786-8860
http://bit.ly/WyomingCoVSA
Yates County
315-536-5196
http://bit.ly/YatesCoVSA
MISCELLANEOUS BENEFITS
Veteran Administration service representatives can answer questions about benefits eligibility and application procedures. A veteran’s family may be entitled to benefits such as:
1. Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for spouse or dependent child(ren)
2. Death Pension for spouse or dependent child(ren)
3. VA Burial Benefits
4. National Service VA Life Insurance
Contact the nearest VA benefits office at 800-827-1000 or the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs (DVA) at 888-838-7697 for more information.
VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS
If your loved one was a member of a veterans’ organization, such as the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), ask your funeral director to contact the organization’s service representative to arrange for a ritual service and casket bearers. The post representative should also be informed if the family wishes to have the flag presented to the next-of-kin during the graveside service.
BEREAVEMENT COUNSELLING
The VA offers bereavement counseling to parents, spouses and children of Armed Forces personnel who died in the service of their country. Family members of reservists and National Guard personnel who die while on duty are also eligible for this program. VA's bereavement counseling is provided at no cost in community-based Vet Centers located near the family or can oftentimes be made available in the family's home or where the family feels most comfortable. Families may request this service by calling 202-273-9116 or via email at vet.center@va.gov.
MILITARY RECORDS
Veterans and next-of-kin of deceased veterans have the same rights to full access to military records. Next-of-kin are the widow or widower who has not remarried, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister of the deceased veteran. You may now use vetrecs.archives.gov to order a copy of your military records.
TIMING IS IMPORTANT
Any claim for VA benefits should be filed as promptly as possible to insure the earliest effective date of awarding benefits. There is no specific time limit for claiming reimbursement of burial expenses for a service-related death. In other cases, claims must be filed within two (2) years of the veteran’s burial.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES . . .
Important Phone Numbers
NYS Funeral Directors Association
800-291-2629
NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
888-838-7697
VA (US Department of Veterans Affairs) Hotline
800-827-1000
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf
800-829-4833
Bereavement Counseling
202-461-6530
Important Web Sites
VVA-NY State Council
www.nyvietnamvets.org
NYS Funeral Directors Association
www.nysfda.org
NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs
www.veterans.ny.gov
US Department of Veterans Affairs
www.va.gov
VA Burial and Memorial Benefits
www.cem.va.gov
VA Forms
www.va.gov/vaforms
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