Posted December 8, 2011

If you are serving a family whose loved one is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, there are a number of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits to which they may be entitled.

Funeral and Burial Benefits: Military veterans may be entitled to benefits such as burial in a veterans cemetery, a headstone or grave marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and military honors. Spouses and dependents of veterans may also be eligible for survivor benefits. To learn more about these benefits, visit the National Cemetery Administration website, www.cem.va.gov, or call 800-827-1000.

Vet Centers: This service of the VA welcomes home war veterans with honor by providing quality readjustment counseling to them and their families. In addition, Vet Centers offer bereavement counseling to parents, siblings, spouses and children of armed forces personnel who die in the service to our country. Family members of reservists and National Guardsmen who die while on federally activated duty are also eligible Visit www.vetcenter.va.gov for more information.

Office of Survivors Assistance: The VA offers a wide range of benefits The Office of Survivors Assistance is a VA program designed to provide dedicated and comprehensive support to Survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans and members of the Armed Services. Visit www.va.gov/survivors for more information. Additional information can also be found by visiting www.vba.va.gov/bln/dependents.

You may also wish to provide this website address and phone number on your funeral home's website, or with families of veterans that your firm is serving.