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 1. Home
 2. Benefits
 3. Memorial Affairs
 4. End-of-Life planning: Prepare for the future with VA


END-OF-LIFE PLANNING: PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE WITH VA




September 4, 2023

Veterans Benefits Administration, Office of Communication



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BenefitsMemorial Affairs

Talking about end-of-life planning is never easy, but it’s essential. VA
provides a variety of benefits and services to help Veterans and their loved
ones prepare. From life insurance to burial costs, learn how you can plan ahead
with VA benefits.




PROVIDE FINANCIAL PROTECTION

VA offers life insurance to help Veterans prepare for the future and protect
those who matter most. Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) offers
guaranteed acceptance whole life coverage up to $40,000 for Veterans with
service-connected disabilities. With Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), you
can convert and keep your Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage
amount after you leave the military. Learn about the two programs and find the
right coverage for you.


PREPARE VITAL DOCUMENTS

In the event you’re not able to make your end-of-life care wishes known, it’s
important to have them written down so someone else can represent them on your
behalf. To help with this, VA offers Advance Care Planning (ACP), in which a
Veteran can clarify their preferences for future health care based on personal
values and beliefs. As part of ACP, you can also nominate an individual to
advocate for your care preferences and make decisions on your behalf, if you’re
unable to do so.

Get started on your plans for the future with help from VA. You can talk to your
primary care team member to determine what your first step should be, meet with
a social worker to discuss advance care planning and answer your questions, or
participate in Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) where you and
your loved ones can talk with other Veterans and caregivers about how to plan
for the future.


TAKE CARE OF SURVIVING FAMILY

Eligible dependents of a Veteran who died from a condition related to service or
who died in the line of duty may be eligible for survivor benefits, such as
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit
that some surviving family members may qualify for. When applying for DIC,
include the Veteran’s DD214 and death certificate indicating the cause of death.

Other benefits available to survivors include:

 * Survivors Pension, which offers monthly payments to qualifying spouses and
   unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and
   net worth requirements.
 * Month of Death Benefit, which is the final monthly payment of any VA
   compensation or pension benefits the Veteran was receiving.
 * Accrued Benefits, which are unpaid benefits the Veteran was due before
   passing.  
 * Burial Allowance, which are monetary benefits to help pay for the Veteran’s
   burial and funeral costs.


BURIAL AND MEMORIAL BENEFITS

VA burial and memorial benefits preserve and honor a Veteran’s legacy. Veterans
and their families can apply in advance to find out if they can be buried in a
VA national cemetery by submitting an online pre-need eligibility application.

Spanning a network of 155 VA national cemeteries and over 120 VA-funded state,
territorial and tribal cemeteries, the burial and memorial benefits available to
Veterans include a designated final resting place, headstone or marker, burial
flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate and perpetual care of the gravesite.


KEEP IT ALL TOGETHER

Create a folder that has a copy of your DD214, Advance Care Plan, life insurance
policy and pre-need burial eligibility decision letter. Ensure loved ones know
where to find it and what actions they need to take after your death. Having
important VA documents organized and easily accessible to your loved ones will
relieve some stress after you pass.

For more information on planning for the future, visit VA.gov/plan-ahead.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





TOPICS IN THIS STORY

insuranceSurvivor

In this article

 * Provide financial protection
 * Prepare vital documents
 * Take care of surviving family
 * Burial and memorial benefits
 * Keep it all together


LEAVE A COMMENT

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article;
this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance,
please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally
identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health
information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.


13 COMMENTS

 1. Dale whipp September 16, 2023 at 11:18
    
    How do I get information on all these benefits? Is there somewhere near
    Knoxville? I can go to hear all this from an agent?

    
 2. Linda Davis September 12, 2023 at 17:10
    
    Info on DIC and Survivors Pension. Would like to know if I qualify.

    
 3. Phillip EDWARD Stephens September 12, 2023 at 13:07
    
    IM IN LAS VEGAS AND WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO REACH OUT TO ME REGARDING END OF
    LIFE BURIAL INFO! I NEED IT LIKE ASAP!

    
 4. PETER PAUL GARBACKI September 12, 2023 at 11:44
    
    would like to talk to a va social worker. spent over 10k since 1978 for pre
    need and have no more va life insurance cashed in used for per need and
    other needs. am 100 persent servive connected living in sink hole house.
    FLORIDA THANK YOU.

    
 5. M k Thompson September 7, 2023 at 18:47
    
    More info for surviving spouses please. VA and MHS seems to forget they are
    still real people!!!!!!

    
 6. Cheryl rieken September 7, 2023 at 14:36
    
    Why is it before my husband died in April 2019 I applied for
    Care taker for David I was told the day he had his first heart surgery I got
    denied this was wrong I quick my job to tale care of him I watch he dies
    slowly but the VA caretaker division never cared I should had something for
    taking care of him I made sure meds dr appointments were taken care of so
    someone needs to contact me. Please

    
 7. George Rosales Jr September 7, 2023 at 14:06
    
    92 years old. Need to be prepared.

    
 8. Herbert R. Reed September 7, 2023 at 13:47
    
    Sense the military concluded drafting wills for retired and discharged
    veterans, the veterans affairs End of Life Planning program is an
    appreciated addition to veterans benefit discharged personnel will take
    advantage. Pass the knowledge forward so those not connected can benefit
    from this information, family taking care of family, the buddy system, no
    one left behind. Pay it forward. Budgets get tighter each year, so when
    there’s a program that lighten’s the load, it’s welcomed.

    
 9. Donna September 6, 2023 at 20:29
    
    So is there somewhere a widow can see a pro bono lawyer to get my papers in
    order?? My husband was 100% permanently disabled and retired Navy Veteran
    with 3 tours in Vietnam and 1 in the Gulf War. So when he passed away in
    2018 his money from the government went with him. Now prices go up and up.
    Any help out there for ME??
    
    * George D September 7, 2023 at 10:38
      
      Did he belong to one of the service organizations? (VFW, AL, etc.)
      That’s be a place to start.
    
      
    * Vickie L Peters September 7, 2023 at 16:44
      
      There are definitely VA benefits available and there is no need for a
      lawyer. Get with any accredited service organization (DAV, VFW, American
      Legion, etc.) to begin the paperwork. DO NOT attempt it alone. These folks
      are experts on VA benefits whereas an attorney may not be. They know what
      VA needs to grant the benefit.
    
      
    * Jake September 7, 2023 at 21:54
      
      Go to: http://www.dav.org
      
      Locate a service officer near you by using your zip code
      
      Call and request a appointment
    
      
    * Robert Garcia September 12, 2023 at 11:38
      
      How was it that you were left flat broke? You say he was a 100% and no DIC
      survivors benefits? I guess you didn’t qualify for survivor retirement
      benefits or he left you out to get the max retirement pay? If none of this
      applies you might seek legal advice or a good Veterans Service Officer to
      clue you in. Good luck!
    
      
    

Comments are closed.


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Last updated September 1, 2023

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