VA Burial Allowance 2026: Check the Date of Death First

For an eligible non-service-connected death, the VA burial allowance is $1,002 for deaths from January 1 through September 30, 2026, rising to $1,032 for deaths on or after October 1, 2026. A separate plot or interment allowance has the same rates, if its requirements are met. For a service-connected death in 2026, the maximum burial allowance remains $2,000. VA’s current rate table bases these amounts on the date of death, not the date you apply.

These benefits help with expenses; they are not a promise that VA will pay the entire funeral bill.

The two non-service-connected rates during 2026

Rates current as of October 25, 2026.

Veteran’s date of death	Burial and funeral allowance	Separate plot or interment allowance, if eligible	Combined amount if both apply
January 1–September 30, 2026	$1,002	$1,002	$2,004
October 1–December 31, 2026	$1,032	$1,032	$2,064

The first row uses the rate that took effect October 1, 2025. The second uses the increase effective October 1, 2026. Both appear in VA’s burial allowance schedule.

Do not treat the combined amount as automatic. The plot allowance has separate requirements. For a private-cemetery claim, the Veteran must qualify for national cemetery burial but be buried outside a national cemetery or other federally administered cemetery. The claimant must incur plot or interment expenses, and an additional qualifying condition must apply, such as eligibility for a non-service-connected burial allowance or death while hospitalized by VA. Certain disability-related discharges can also qualify. Burial in a VA national cemetery does not generate a separate plot payment to the family. State and Tribal cemetery payments have their own rules. The plot-allowance regulation explains these distinctions.

For a service-connected death, use the separate maximum of $2,000 rather than adding it to the non-service-connected burial amount. VA defines a service-connected death as one due to an illness or injury caused or made worse by active-duty service. Transportation reimbursement may also be available. VA burial benefit guidance

Who qualifies for the cash allowance?

Veteran status alone does not establish eligibility for the cash payment. VA says the Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and at least one qualifying circumstance must apply, such as:

• Death resulting from a service-connected disability.
• Receipt of VA compensation or pension at death.
• Eligibility for VA compensation or pension, but receipt of full military retirement or disability pay instead.
• Death while receiving VA care or VA-contracted care, or during properly authorized travel at VA expense for care.
• A pending original or reopened compensation or pension claim that would have entitled the Veteran to benefits before death.

VA’s public guidance also requires that you be paying the burial and funeral costs and not be reimbursed by another organization, such as a government agency or the Veteran’s employer. Eligible claimants can include a surviving spouse or legal-union partner, child, parent, estate representative, another family member or friend, or a funeral or cemetery organization. VA does not pay this allowance for someone who died on active duty. VA’s eligibility rules

You do not necessarily have to pay the bill in full before applying: the form allows you to certify that you have paid or legally owe the expenses for the benefit claimed. VA Form 21P-530EZ instructions

Cremation does not disqualify a claim. VA provides burial benefits for all legal burial types, including cremation and burial at sea, and for donation of remains to a medical school. The eligibility requirements still apply. VA’s covered burial types

National cemetery burial is a separate benefit

An eligible Veteran may qualify for national cemetery burial even when the family does not qualify for a cash burial allowance. Some spouses and dependent children also qualify for cemetery burial under VA’s cemetery eligibility rules.

At a VA national cemetery with available space, benefits include the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, and a government headstone or marker at no cost to the family. Cremated remains may be buried or inurned there, too. Funeral-home and cremation-provider services remain the family’s expense, although a qualifying cash allowance can help offset costs. National Cemetery Administration benefits

Before buying private cemetery property, confirm whether national cemetery burial is an option your family wants. If choosing a private cemetery, compare the plot price separately from interment and other charges; our burial plot cost guide explains what to check.

How to claim—and what to keep

VA accepts an online application or VA Form 21P-530EZ by mail. Its burial allowance page provides both options. Gather:

• A death certificate, including the cause of death.
• The Veteran’s DD214 or other separation documents, if available.
• Itemized funeral and cemetery bills and payment records.
• An itemized transportation receipt in your name if requesting reimbursement for costs you paid directly.
• Supporting medical records, if available, for a service-connected death claim.

Transportation reimbursement is separate from the flat-rate allowances and has its own eligibility rules. Ask the provider to identify transportation charges rather than folding them into an unexplained package. VA Form 21P-530EZ instructions

VA says eligible surviving spouses listed on the Veteran’s profile receive an automatic set payment after VA receives notice of death. If that describes you, check what VA has paid before submitting another claim; do not assume it covers every benefit or expense. For help, call 800-827-1000. VA’s surviving-spouse guidance

Filing deadlines

For an ordinary non-service-connected burial allowance, file within two years after permanent burial or cremation. There is no filing time limit for a service-connected burial allowance, a plot or interment allowance, transportation reimbursement, or a non-service-connected burial allowance based on death while hospitalized by VA. If the Veteran’s discharge was corrected after death to “Under Conditions Other Than Dishonorable,” the form specifies a deadline of two years after that correction. VA application instructions