My father-in-law was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in 2025. Attending that interment was an honor and a privilege. San Diego has a large population of retired and former military service members. This population has earned certain additional benefits that family members may not be aware of. This article addresses some of these benefits available following a death. It does not address benefits available to the survivors of a person who died while on active duty.
What Expenses and Services are Covered by the Veterans’ Administration?
1. Cash Payments
If the Veteran died from a “service connected” illness or injury, the VA will pay a burial allowance of $2,000. If the Veteran is buried at a VA cemetery, the VA may also reimburse some or all of the costs of transportation to the burial site.
If the death was not service connected, the benefits are smaller. For a death after October 1, 2026, the VA will provide a burial allowance of $1,032 and another $1,032 for a burial plot (if not buried in a VA cemetery). The VA may also reimburse some or all of the costs of moving the Veteran’s remains to the burial site if the Veteran died while hospitalized or in a VA contracted nursing home, or the Veteran died while traveling to VA-authorized care.
The VA will also provide a $441 allowance towards to purchase of a headstone or marker.
Those who wish a government provided headstone, grave marker, or wall marker must complete VA Form 40-1330 and submit it, along with the Veteran’s DD-214 (discharge papers) by mail, fax or online at AccessVA. Registration on the website is required.
Those who request a “commemorative” urn or plaque will no longer be legible for interment at a VA cemetery, or for a headstone or grave marker.
2. Qualifying for Burial at a VA Cemetery
Few people now qualify for interment at Arlington National Cemetery. Fortunately, there are currently 12 VA National Cemeteries in the state of California, and 4 VA grant-funded state Veteran cemeteries. Qualifying serve members, and their spouses (even those who predecease the veteran), may be entitled to burial or cremains placement in a columbarium niche or scattering garden, including a headstone or marker:
- Those who served on active duty for at least 24 months and who died on active duty or received a discharge that was not dishonorable;
- National Guard or Reserve members who served a tour on active duty (but not for training);
- National Guard and Reserve members who are entitled to retirement pay, and “gray area” retirees who have not yet reached age 60.
Memorial headstones are also available for those whose remains are not recovered or identified, are donated to science or are buried at sea, or who choose to have their remains scattered.
Those interested in resting in a National Cemetery are encouraged to apply during life by submitting a “pre-need” eligibility application. Once received, the letter can be stored with the veteran’s other important estate planning papers. Reservations are not available.
3. Burial benefits
Burial at a National Cemetery includes the following services, free of charge to the Veteran and family:
- burial site
- opening and closing the grave, and interment of the casket or urn
- military honors (at a minimum, playing of Taps and presentation of the flag)
- United States burial flag
- government headstone or marker
- maintenance of the gravesite
- Presidential Memorial Certificates
- Veterans Legacy Memorial profile page
For those who choose burial at a private cemetery, the following services are available free of charge:
- government headstone or marker or medallion (installation costs are not covered)
military honors
United States burial flag
Presidential Memorial Certificates
Veteran’s Legacy Memorial (if government headstone, marker or medallion requested) - Spouses and dependent children are not eligible for a headstone or marker, but their information can be added to the government headstone.
4. Other Disposition Options
Other options for disposition of the Veteran’s remains include the Navy’s Burial at Sea option. This service is available to members of all service branches, their spouses and dependent children, as well as civilian employees of Military Sealift Command. Both caskets and cremains are accepted in San Diego. Cremains must be secure in non-plastic containers (spun brass urns or biodegradable containers are preferred). Those seeking this service must apply and it can take 12-18 months. Family members are not permitted to attend, but families will receive a letter from the commanding officer with the exact date, time, and GPS coordinates of the ceremony. A burial flag should accompany the remains and will be returned to the family after the service. Families can request a burial flag and a commemorative marker for such burials.
The VA has no specific benefits yet for those who elect human reduction. Human reduction (California’s legal term for natural organic reduction, aka human composting or “terramation”), is not yet available in San Diego, but will be permitted locally in 2027. Those who elect
What Death Related Expenses Are Not Covered?
Not all death related expenses are covered. Funeral home services, a casket or urn (other than a commemorative urn), embalming or cremation, funeral or memorial services, flowers, transportation to the gravesite (except as set forth above), opening and closing the grave, and maintenance of the burial site, are some of the services that are not covered.
The cost of caskets in San Diego currently range for $800 – to $10,000, with the average cost being $2,000. Urns usually cost between $100 and $500, although plastic or paper boxes are often provided free of cost.
The cost of cremation varies widely, based on the level of service requested. A basic “direct” cremation with to other services costs from $500 to $2500 depending on where in the County the services are provided. If use of a chapel or a viewing before cremation are desires the costs can increase to over $10,000.
Other nondiscretionary costs include the $12 California disposition permit, $26 per death certificate, and a $11.50 regulatory tax.
Human reduction (California’s legal term for natural organic reduction, aka human composting or terramation), is not yet available in San Diego, but will be permitted locally in 2027. Currently such services are provided by transporting the remains to another state, such as Washington, at a cost of up to $3000. The service itself costs from $5000-$7000. National Cemeteries do not yet permit the remains of such reduction to be placed there.
If you or a loved one are a Veteran, we encourage you to review these benefits during the Veteran’s lifetime. Planning ahead can make a difficult time easier for the family and ensure the Veteran’s wishes are honored.
