By Larry Pascador

Accredited Veteran

Counselor

Dickinson County

Veterans Service Director

Can I get burial allowances? You may be able to get burial allowances if you’re:

— The veteran’s surviving spouse (Note: They recognize same-sex marriages), or

— A surviving child of the veteran, or

— A parent of the veteran, or

— The executor or administrator (someone who officially represents the deceased) of the veteran’s estate

To get this benefit, the veteran must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and must have:

— Died as a result of a service-connected disability (a disability related to service), or

— Been getting a Veterans Administration pension or compensation when they died, or

— Chosen to get military retired pay instead of compensation, or

— Died while getting VA care, either at a VA facility or at a facility contracted by VA, or

— Died while traveling to approved VA care, or

— Died with a reopened claim for VA compensation or a pension that would have qualified them to get benefits, or

— Died on or after Oct. 9, 1996, while a patient at a VA-approved state nursing home

VA will also provide an allowance for the cost of transporting a veteran’s remains for burial in a national cemetery.

You must file a claim for a non-service-connected burial allowance within two years after the veteran’s burial or cremation. If a veteran’s discharge was changed after death to “under conditions other than dishonorable,” you must file for an allowance claim within two years after the discharge update. There’s no time limit to file for a service-connected burial, plot, or interment allowance.

What kind of benefits can I get?

— An allowance for burial and funeral costs ;

— An allowance for the plot or interment;

— An allowance for transporting the veteran’s remains for burial in a national cemetery;

— Documents needed to apply: The veterans discharge papers (DD214 or other separation documents).

— The Veteran’s death certificate. Any transportation costs of the veterans remains.

The Veterans Services Office is at the YMCA building suite 100. They can be contacted by calling 906-774-2820.