Veteran Benefits and How a Funeral Home Can Help

Are you a veteran planning ahead for your funeral, or have you lost a loved one who served in the military? Several benefits programs are designed to help you and your family with various expenses associated with death and funeral services. You will gain a lot from working with a Loudonville, NY, funeral home equipped to work with veterans.

Below, we discuss your entitlements and the ways in which your funeral provider can be instrumental in claiming them.

• Burial allowance

This benefit is paid directly towards burial or funeral services. Like with the others, you must have been a veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable to be eligible for this benefit.

• Military honors

Veterans who have served in the active duty and reserve services are entitled to a military honors funeral. This includes playing taps and presenting the flag.

• One burial flag

This flag is given to a veteran’s next of kin. The family member may choose to have the flag buried with the veteran or hold on to it as a keepsake.

• Presidential Memorial Certificate

Also called a PMC, this certificate bearing the official signature of the current President of the United States is issued to the family of deceased veterans. The certificate contains an image of the Presidential Seal and a message of condolence from the President.

• Veteran memorial medallion, marker or headstone

Government and many organizations furnish memorials upon request for deceased eligible veterans at no extra cost to the family. Memorial setting fees can range from nominal in state cemeteries to free in national and military base cemeteries.

• Burial in a national cemetery

Veterans are eligible for burial in any of the more than 130 national cemeteries maintained by the VA. You are entitled to opening and closing of the grave, a grave liner, and its perpetual care at no cost.

Burial benefits can apply at any cemetery operated by the VA or private cemeteries with a contract that caters to veterans under VA’s eligibility criteria. Some of these benefits also apply to the spouse and dependents of an eligible veteran.

How your funeral home comes in

In addition to the use of facilities and professional services, the following is how a funeral home can further serve your funeral needs as a veteran.

• Completing applications for all the veterans’ benefits to which you are entitled
• Coordinating with national or state veterans’ cemeteries
• Coordinating documentation with the family and necessary organizations
• Providing veteran-specific additional personalization options for the funeral service

It’s never too early to plan ahead for the inevitable. If you are a veteran, keeping track of any documents and information that may be crucial to your military service is an excellent place to start.

As you can see, there are many ways a veteran and their family can benefit from the professional assistance of funeral homes in Loudonville, NY. If you have any more concerns regarding your eligibility or how we can serve you and your family, do not hesitate to call us today.