You earned the benefits. Here’s what they actually cover.

The VA provides real, earned burial benefits — but they are fixed allowances, not full coverage. For a non-service-connected death, the allowance is up to $978 for burial expenses plus up to $978 for a plot (deaths on or after October 1, 2024; adjusted periodically). For a service-connected death it’s up to $2,000. Against a typical funeral running $8,000 or more, the family covers the difference — casket, funeral home fees, transportation — out of pocket. Verify current figures at va.gov.

Two ways that matter to a grieving family: amount and timing. The VA allowance is capped and is typically paid as a reimbursement after the family has already paid the funeral home. A final expense policy pays the full benefit in cash, usually within days of claim approval — money in hand when the funeral director needs a decision, not after. The two work together: the allowance you earned plus the policy that closes the gap.

VGLI is solid coverage — and it’s term insurance with premiums that step up every five years as you age. Many veterans keep it into their 50s and 60s and watch the premium climb until they drop coverage exactly when it’s hardest to replace. A whole life policy locks the premium and the coverage permanently — it cannot expire and cannot reprice. Many veterans keep VGLI for the near term and add a permanent layer for the long one.

Not anymore — this is one of the most persistent outdated beliefs in the community. The SBP-DIC offset (the "widow’s tax") was fully eliminated as of January 1, 2023. Eligible surviving spouses now receive both the full Survivor Benefit Plan annuity and full Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (base rate $1,653.07/month for 2025, adjusted annually).

It doesn’t disqualify you — and the tax-free monthly compensation (2025 rates from $175.51 at 10% to $3,831.30 at 100% for a veteran alone) is exactly the kind of stable, guaranteed income that makes level premiums easy to sustain. Simplified-issue final expense policies ask limited health questions and have no medical exam; many veterans with service-connected conditions qualify without difficulty.

Yes — and it’s free. The fastest route is the National Archives’ eVetRecs system at archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records; you can also mail Standard Form 180. Your DD-214 is the master key for VA burial benefits, so having a copy accessible matters regardless of what you decide about coverage. We walk families through the request as part of any assessment, no strings attached.

In a VA national cemetery, yes — the gravesite, government headstone or marker, burial flag, and military honors are provided at no cost, and that’s a substantial earned benefit worth using. Outside a national cemetery, the plot allowance is up to $978 and a private headstone qualifies for a monetary allowance of up to $231 (deaths on/after October 1, 2024). What no VA benefit covers anywhere: the funeral home’s services — casket, embalming, viewing, transportation, and family travel. That’s the gap.

Active-duty deaths are handled by the Department of Defense, not the VA — the DoD provides its own death and burial benefits, casualty assistance, and SGLI payout. The VA burial benefits discussed on this page apply to veterans after discharge. It’s one of the most commonly confused lines in the whole system, and families lose time applying to the wrong agency.

In many cases now, yes — another outdated belief worth correcting. Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) allows eligible retirees (20+ years, 50%+ rating) to receive both in full, and Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) provides tax-free payments for combat-related disabilities. If you’ve been assuming one cancels the other, it’s worth re-checking — that’s income that changes what your family can protect.

No. CentraLife is a private insurance agency — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any government agency. VA benefits are yours because you earned them; we recommend every family claim every dollar of them. What we design is the private layer that covers what the allowances don’t.