Burial Benefits
On the death of a Veteran, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will pay an amount of the funeral expenses that depend on the circumstances of the Veteran’s death.
The VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for a service-connected Veteran. If the Veteran is to be buried in a VA National Cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the deceased may also be reimbursed.
For a Veteran whose cause of death is not service-connected, the VA will pay up to $796 if the Veteran was hospitalized at the time of death and up to $300 if they were not hospitalized. Additionally, the VA will pay a plot-interment allowance of $796 if not being buried in a VA National Cemetery.
Headstone or Marker
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. A Government-furnished headstone or marker may be provided for eligible Veterans who died on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone. A Government-furnished medallion may be provided for eligible Veterans who served on or after Apr. 6, 1917, and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.
VA National Cemetery
The VA National Cemetery Administration operates cemeteries nationwide for eligible Veterans and their families.
Donnel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery
The West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance operates the only state Veterans Cemetery in West Virginia. Eligibility for burial follows federal VA National Cemetery Administration (NCA) policy and federal law. For more detailed information, see the NCA burial eligibility page or the 38 Combined Federal Regulations (CFR) § 38.620 - Persons eligible for burial.
Jack Bennett Fund
Families of deceased Veterans may be provided grave markers for their loved one free of charge from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, some families are unable to cover the cost of installing these grave markers. The Jack Bennett Fund provides applicants up to $380 to offset these costs. A family’s need for financial assistance may be used to determine eligibility and is based on the “Means Test Threshold” as published by the VA. Any family member of a deceased Veteran, licensed funeral directors and cemeteries may apply.