Benefits When a Veteran Passes Away

The Veteran’s Administration offers an expansive array of benefits to veterans.  They even offer benefits once the veteran has passed away.  Two common burial benefits available in Arizona and New Mexico are as follows:

The VA will provide reimbursement for some veterans’ funeral and burial expenses.  The maximum reimbursement will not, in most cases, cover the entire amount; however, it does defray some of the cost.  The types of allowable expenses even include the cost of the final resting place of the remains.  If the veteran’s death occurred as a result of a service-connected disability, the burial allowance is much higher.  In most cases a claim for this benefit must be filed within two years of the date of the veteran’s death.

Veterans can be laid to rest in a veteran cemetery.  The most famous of these is Arlington National.  While most veterans are unable to be buried in Arlington, they can be buried in other federal veteran cemeteries or even state-run veteran cemeteries.  In Arizona, we have the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, and Prescott National Cemetery.  Eligible spouses and dependents may also be buried in these cemeteries.

To obtain the benefits enumerated above, a person must submit an application to the VA (forms are available online) with a copy of the veteran’s death certificate as well as a copy of the veteran’s discharge paperwork.

Why Choose Morris Hall:
You have a number of options when it comes to estate planning, so why pick Morris Hall?  First off, estate planning and asset protection are a very complicated endeavor and you should only trust someone who focuses exclusively on those matters.  Also, MH is a proud member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) which provides us additional support, advanced training, tools and information that is not available to others – which means that we can better protect your assets and your loved ones.  We are one of only two firms in Arizona that belong to the AAEPA and are the only firm in New Mexico that has been granted membership.  If you have assets and loved ones that you want to protect, you are in good hands with MH.  Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!

This blog should be used for informational purposes only.  It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice.  If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.