VA burial benefit update for national cemeteries

VA burial benefit update for national cemeteries

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced a change to the VA burial benefit and monetary allowance for a privately purchased outer burial receptacle. The monetary allowance increased $4 to $322 for qualifying interments in 2016.

VA burial benefitAn outer burial receptacle is defined as a “graveliner, burial vault, or other similar type of container for a casket.”  For burials in a VA National Cemetery, when an outer burial receptacle is privately purchased and used in lieu of a government-furnished graveliner, a monetary allowance may be payable.

The monetary allowance is equal to the average cost of a government-furnished graveliner minus administrative costs to the VA.  The average cost of a graveliner was $327 with administrative costs of $9 for calendar year 2015.

The VA published the annual Federal Register Notice updating the VA burial benefit monetary allowance on December 22, 2015. The entire notice can be found at https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-32006.

References: Title 38, United States Code, Section 2306 (38USC2306) and Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 38.629 (38CFR38.629)