How is a final expense policy different from the VA burial allowance?

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.

I have VGLI. Isn’t that enough?

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.

Will my spouse’s SBP be reduced by DIC payments?

Not anymore — this is one of the most persistent outdated beliefs in the community.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).

Does my VA disability rating affect what I qualify for?

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.

Can you help me find my DD-214?

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.

Does the VA pay for the headstone and cemetery plot?

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.

My family member died on active duty — do these VA benefits apply?

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.

Can I receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation?

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.

Is CentraLife affiliated with the VA?

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.

How is a final expense policy different from the VA burial allowance?

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.

I have VGLI. Isn’t that enough?

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.

Will my spouse’s SBP be reduced by DIC payments?

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).

Does my VA disability rating affect what I qualify for?

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.

Can you help me find my DD-214?

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.

Does the VA pay for the headstone and cemetery plot?

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.

My family member died on active duty — do these VA benefits apply?

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.

Can I receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation?

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.

Is CentraLife affiliated with the VA?

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.

CentraLife is a private company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency.

For Veterans & Military Families

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

No scare tactics and no pandering — just the numbers. VA burial benefits are real, earned, and worth claiming to the last dollar. They are also fixed allowances that leave a five-figure gap at a typical funeral. This page lays out exactly what the VA pays, what it doesn’t, and how veterans close the difference.

Talk to a Licensed Advisor (313) 925-3760

The Numbers, From the Source

The foundation — and the gap.

Every figure below is published by the VA and adjusted periodically — verify at va.gov. The pattern is what matters: the allowance is a foundation, not the whole house.

Up to $978

VA burial allowance, non-service-connected death

+ up to $978 plot allowance if not buried in a VA national cemetery · deaths on/after Oct 1, 2024

Up to $2,000

VA burial allowance, service-connected death

Deaths on or after September 11, 2001 · some transport costs may qualify for national cemetery burials

$8,000+

What a typical funeral actually costs

Casket, embalming, funeral home services, transportation, family travel — none covered by any allowance

And one detail that surprises most families: the VA allowance is typically paid as a reimbursement — after the family has already paid the funeral home. A final expense policy pays cash within days of the claim, when the funeral director actually needs an answer. Amount is half the problem; timing is the other half.

The Private Layer

What veterans build with us.

Close the burial gap

Simplified-issue final expense whole life (ages 50–85, no medical exam) sized to the real gap between the VA allowance and the funeral your family would actually hold. Locked premium, coverage that can’t expire, cash to the beneficiary in days — income-tax-free under IRC §101(a).

Final Expense

Fix the VGLI treadmill

VGLI premiums step up every five years — by the 60s, many veterans are priced out at the exact moment coverage matters most. A permanent policy locks today’s health and today’s rate forever. For working-age veterans, cash-value designs add tax-advantaged accumulation on top.

Whole Life

Build the second act

Veterans in their 30s and 40s — many running businesses, driving CDL, or in high-income second careers — use max-funded IUL for what no VA benefit provides: tax-advantaged retirement income with no contribution cap, a 0% floor, and living benefits. Disability compensation’s steady tax-free income makes premium funding unusually stable.

Indexed Universal Life

Deep Dive · VA Loan Holders

The VA guaranteed your loan — not your family

Why the guaranty pays your family $0, what VMLI actually covers (and who it excludes), and how $0-down equity math makes VA loans the mortgages that most need protection.

Read the breakdown

Deep Dive · Interactive Calculator

DIC + SBP + Social Security: run your family’s numbers

The survivor income gap calculator — add every earned stream, see the monthly shortfall, and the exact coverage that fills it. Includes the 2023 widow’s-tax elimination most families haven’t heard about.

Run the calculator

Survivor Benefits, Corrected

Facts most families have wrong.

The widow’s tax is dead. The SBP-DIC offset was fully eliminated January 1, 2023 — eligible surviving spouses now receive both payments in full.
DIC is real monthly income. The 2025 base rate is $1,653.07/month tax-free for a surviving spouse when the death is service-connected — with additions for dependents.
The PACT Act widened the door. Presumptive service connection for toxic-exposure conditions means more deaths qualify as service-connected — and more families qualify for the higher $2,000 allowance and DIC.
The Dole Act closed a hospice gap. For deaths from July 1, 2025 through October 1, 2026, veterans discharged from a VA facility to receive VA hospice care at home are eligible for the full burial allowance — a window worth knowing if it applies to your family.

The Paperwork, Handled

We help with the documents too.

The DD-214 is the master key to every burial benefit — and half of families can’t find it when it’s needed. Requesting a copy is free through the National Archives, and pointing you to it costs nothing:

Online: eVetRecs at archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
By mail: Standard Form 180 to the National Personnel Records Center
Burial allowance claims: VA Form 21P-530EZ at va.gov

Every CentraLife assessment for a veteran family includes a benefits walkthrough — what you’re entitled to from the VA first, then what’s worth insuring privately. In that order.

Verify Everything

Straight from the VA.

VA — Veterans Burial Allowance

The current allowance amounts, eligibility rules, and how to apply (VA Form 21P-530EZ).

VA — Burial Benefits & Memorial Items

The full picture of earned benefits: national cemetery burial, headstones, flags, and honors.

VA — Current DIC Rates

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation rates for surviving spouses and dependents, updated annually.

VA — Disability Compensation Rates

Current tax-free monthly compensation by rating and dependent status.

National Archives — Request Military Records

Free DD-214 and service record requests through eVetRecs or Standard Form 180.

VA — The PACT Act and Your Benefits

Expanded presumptive conditions for toxic exposure and what they change for survivors.

Asked by Veteran Families

Straight answers.

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.

The Next 15 Minutes

Claim everything you earned.
Insure only what’s left.

A licensed CentraLife advisor walks through your VA benefits first, then designs the private layer for the gap — with real carrier illustrations and no obligation.

Schedule an Assessment Final Expense Details

CentraLife is a private company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any other government agency. This is a solicitation for insurance. VA benefit figures cited are published rates subject to periodic adjustment — verify current amounts at va.gov. Nothing on this page guarantees VA benefit eligibility or outcomes. Coverage subject to underwriting; policy guarantees backed by the issuing carrier’s financial strength. CentraLife LLC · NPN 21105331.