By Larry Dandridge
This final article in a series of five articles will cover more on VA Burial benefits, pensions, dependency and indemnity compensation, and Family Caregivers Programs.
VA benefits are many and complex and applying for them is even more complex. These articles are not a substitute for reading the wealth of information at www.va.gov and asking a Veterans Service Officer for help.
Arlington National Cemetery
The VA cannot determine eligibility for burial in Arlington National Cemetery because the U.S. Army maintains this cemetery. Veterans and their families should work with a funeral director to contact Arlington National Cemetery at 877-907-8585 for their eligibility information. See the details at https://bit.ly/40okPay. Read the many details and watch videos about military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery at https://bit.ly/3Aaysj0 and at www.ArlingtonCemetery.mil.
You can also download the Arlington Cemetery Fact Sheet at https://bit.ly/3GWajAC.
VA Burial in a National Cemetery Benefits
When a veteran, service member, or family member qualifies for burial in a VA national cemetery, they receive the following burial benefits at no cost to their family.
- A gravesite in any of our national cemeteries with available space. See https://www.cem.va.gov/find-cemetery/.
- Opening and closing of the grave.
- A burial liner provided by the government.
- A headstone or marker provided by the government. Call the VA at 800-697-6947 with any questions.
- Perpetual care of the gravesite.
At the time of need, the person planning the burial can also request other VA memorial items (Headstones, markers, and medallions; Burial Flags; and Presidential Memorial Certificates) as well as military funeral honors (Playing of Taps, a rifle detail, a color guard, and uniformed service members who present the flag) provided by the Department of Defense. These items and honors have other eligibility requirements. Read about memorial items at https://bit.ly/3Lap2u0. Learn all about military funeral honors and committal service at https://bit.ly/41uGor0.
How to plan ahead for burial in a VA National Cemetery
According to the VA webpage https://bit.ly/3Aa09bJ, veterans and other eligible family members can plan ahead to make the process of applying for burial in a VA national cemetery easier. Apply for a pre-need eligibility determination by following the instructions at https://bit.ly/3KoGeul. The pre-need eligibility determination is only for VA national cemeteries. If you want to be buried in a state or tribal veterans cemetery, check the site you want ahead of time, since some state veterans’ cemeteries require that you live in that state or have other eligibility rules.
Learn more about veterans’ burial benefits at the following VA web pages:
- Frequently Asked Questions https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/faq.asp.
- Schedule a burial for a veteran or family member https://bit.ly/3KRhRpg.
- Schedule a burial in a VA National Cemetery https://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/.
- Request your military service records webpage https://bit.ly/41ydmaU.
- If you are the next of kin of the veteran who passed away, how do you request a copy of the veteran’s military records https://bit.ly/41ydmaU.
- How to apply for a veteran’s burial allowance https://bit.ly/3dKZkyx.
- Honor a veteran or reservist with memorial items https://bit.ly/3Lap2u0.
- Bereavement counseling https://bit.ly/3Aa2UtK.
- Military funeral honors and the committal service https://bit.ly/41uGor0.
- How do I search for the committal service date, time, and cemetery for the scheduled burial of a veteran, spouse, or other eligible family member? https://bit.ly/3A7OwSv.
- How do I search nationwide the VA gravesite? https://bit.ly/3A7OwSv.
Survivor’s Pension Benefit
A surviving spouse or unmarried child of a deceased veteran with wartime service can find out if they qualify for monthly pension benefits and how to apply by reading the information at https://bit.ly/3RixtDp and the VA Survivors Pension Fact Sheet at https://bit.ly/3oBnGNs (https://bit.ly/3opNuif).
This subject was covered in detail in The Island News article dated February 9, 2022, titled “Are you missing out on a surviving spouse or unmarried child’s VA pension?” Read that article at https://bit.ly/3UQfNCK.
VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Benefit
If you are the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, find out how to apply for this tax-free monetary benefit at https://bit.ly/3rcIrzS.
VA Benefits for Family Caregivers Caregiver Program 1, Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)
According to the VA webpage https://bit.ly/3ZsrvET, the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), offers support and services for family caregivers of eligible veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty and meet other eligibility requirements. PCAFC caregiver services include care or assistance to support the Veteran’s (1.) Health and well-being, (2.) Everyday personal needs (like feeding, bathing, and dressing), and (3.) Safety, protection, or instruction in their daily living environment.
Eligible Primary Family Caregivers working in the PCAFC Program may also receive:
- A monthly stipend (payment),
- Access to health care benefits through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) — if you don’t already qualify for care or services under another health care plan, and
- At least 30 days per year of respite care for the Veteran. Call the Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET
VA Benefits for Family Caregivers Caregiver Program 2, General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS)
According to https://www.caregiver.va.gov/Care_Caregivers.asp, in this program, the veteran does not need to have a service-connected condition, for which the caregiver is needed, and may have served during any era. The VA does not require a formal application for this program. Read the VA’s informative Fact Sheet on PGCSS and Fact Sheet on Frequently Asked Questions at https://bit.ly/40lp0nJ and https://bit.ly/3ottzyI.
In closing this series on VA benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers, it is important to remind military members, veterans, and family members that the two best ways to find out what a veteran’s, or veteran’s spouse, dependent, survivor, and family caregiver VA benefits are and how to apply for those benefits include:
1. Reading the VA’s webpage titled VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, Survivors, and Family Caregivers at https://bit.ly/3ZsrvET (https://www.va.gov/family-member-benefits/) and …
2. Asking for a VA-accredited VSO (or VA-accredited Attorney or Claims Agent). Read about VA Accredited Representatives at https://bit.ly/3rNLdvy (https://www.benefits.va.gov/vso/), https://bit.ly/41PPiQM(https://www.va.gov/ogc/accreditation.asp), and https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL (https://scdva.sc.gov/county-veterans-affairs-offices).
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
