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Every benefit, and the form that gets it

There are six separate VA burial benefits, each with its own form, and none of them arrive automatically. Thousands of eligible families never claim them because nobody told them the benefit existed.

The full list

The one almost nobody claims

That last row is worth stopping on.

Many families buy a private headstone because they want something the government does not offer — a particular stone, a shared family monument, a design the VA would not produce. They assume that by declining the free marker they have simply forfeited a benefit.

They haven't. VA Form 21-8834, Application for Reimbursement of Headstone or Marker Expense, provides an allowance toward a privately purchased marker instead. The amount is capped and set by the veteran's date of death, so check the current figure with the VA — but it is not nothing, and it is money that is otherwise left on the table.

You cannot have both. It is the government marker, or the reimbursement toward a private one.

The burial flag

A United States flag is provided at no cost to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

Two practical notes. Most funeral homes keep flags in stock and can provide one immediately, so the form is often handled for you — but confirm it has been filed rather than assuming. And where there is no next of kin, the VA will furnish the flag to a friend who requests it.

Families of veterans buried in national cemeteries with an avenue of flags can donate the burial flag to be flown on patriotic holidays. Not everyone wants a folded flag in a cabinet, and this is a good alternative to knowing about in advance.

Military funeral honors

Honors are a legal right for eligible veterans, but they have to be requested. A standard detail is at least two uniformed service members, the folding and presentation of the flag to the next of kin, and the playing of Taps.

The funeral director normally makes the arrangement, and the request needs to be made with enough notice for a detail to be assigned. If honors matter to the family, raise it in the first conversation with the funeral home rather than the last.

What is not covered

The funeral itself. Any item or service obtained from a funeral home or cremation office is at the family's expense. And at a private cemetery, the VA does not pay the foundation, the setting fee or the permit for the headstone it provides.

Benefits and form numbers follow VA and National Cemetery Administration publications current for 2026. Monetary amounts are set by law and change — confirm current figures with the VA before relying on them. All of these benefits are free to claim; no third-party service is required.