Gold Star Father turns Abbey Gate tragedy into mission to heal veterans 

VA burial benefits can help service members, Veterans, and their family members plan and pay for a burial or memorial service in a VA national cemetery. Family members can also order memorial items to honor the service of a Veteran. For complete information, including forms and guidelines, and information regarding applying for a Veterans burial allowance, VA Survivors Pension, Benefits Financial Counseling and Fiduciary services, please visit this website: www.va.gov/burials-memorials.

Veterans, service members, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, as well as other benefits, if they meet one of these requirements. One of these must be true:

• The person qualifying for burial benefits is a Veteran who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, or
• The person qualifying for burial benefits is a service member who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training, or
• The person qualifying for burial benefits is the spouse or surviving spouse of a Veteran (even if they remarried after the Veteran’s death), or
• The person qualifying for burial benefits is the minor child of a Veteran (even if the Veteran died first) or, in some cases, the unmarried adult dependent child of a Veteran.

You can apply to find out in advance if you can be buried in a VA national cemetery. This is called a pre-need determination of eligibility—and it can help make the burial planning process easier for your family members in their time of need. Choose the VA national cemetery you prefer to be buried in.  Or, if you’d like to be buried in a state or tribal Veterans cemetery, contact that specific cemetery ahead of time to find out about their pre-need program. Gather the documents you will need.

• Social Security number
• Date and place of birth
• Military status and service history (like service dates, discharge character, and rank—commonly found on the DD214 or other separation documents)
• Discharge papers (DD214 or other separation documents)

If you’re applying as a spouse, surviving spouse, or unmarried adult child, you’ll also need your personal information, including your Social Security number. If you’re applying on behalf of someone else, you’ll also need supporting documents showing you have the authority to apply for that person. You’ll need to fill out one of these forms:

• Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative (VA Form 21-22)
• Appointment of Individual as Claimant’s Representative (VA Form 21-22a)

If you’re applying for an unmarried adult child of a Veteran or service member, you’ll also need to provide supporting documents with information about the child’s disability. The Veteran or guardian of the child should also ask the child’s current doctor to verify the documents. These documents should include all of the following information:

• The date of the disability’s onset, and
• A description of the disability, mental or physical, and
• A description of how dependent the disabled child is on the Veteran, and
• The marital status of the child

You can apply online for Pre-Need Determination at www.va.gov/burials-and-memorials/pre-need/form-10007-apply-for-eligibility/introduction. Or you can fill out an Application for Pre-need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery (VA Form 40-10007) and mail it to NCA FP Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547.

 If you need help with any of these steps, the Pre-Need Determination has a toll-free hotline at 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711). Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.