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National Cemetery Administration

 

Unclaimed Veteran Remains

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) works with Veteran service groups, funeral industry partners, public administrators, and other concerned citizens to ensure the dignified burial of unclaimed Veterans.

A VA pension or other compensation is not a pre-requisite for unclaimed Veterans to receive burial benefits.

Below is a step-by-step process for determining eligibility and arranging burial for unclaimed Veterans.

Watch: NCA Cares for Unclaimed Veterans

Step 1: Determine eligibility

⇒ Contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 to determine if the decedent is a Veteran and eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, or

⇒ State or tribal Veterans cemeteries also offer burial options for eligible Veterans. Contact the state or tribal Veterans cemetery directly for eligibility determination and scheduling the burial.

Notes:

» Veterans eligible for burial in a VA national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery may receive a government headstone or marker, a U.S. burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, even if they are not buried in a national cemetery.

» If a Veteran dies while at a VA facility under authorized VA admission, and the remains are unclaimed, the facility director will ensure proper burial for the Veteran as defined by Section 213 of Public Law 114-223.

» If a Veteran dies at a non-VA facility under authorized admission at VA's expense, and is unclaimed, contact the closest VA healthcare facility to arrange for proper burial of the unclaimed Veteran.

Step 2: Arrange for the deceased, unclaimed Veteran's burial

⇒ In a National Cemetery: Contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 to arrange burial for eligible Veterans in any VA national cemetery with available space, or

⇒ In a State or Tribal Veterans Cemetery: Contact the state or tribal Veterans cemetery to schedule the burial, or

⇒ In a Private Cemetery: Veterans buried in a private cemetery may be entitled to a headstone or marker. To apply, complete: VA Form 40-1330, Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker

Note: VA will ship the headstone or marker anywhere in the world, but the cost of setting the headstone or marker is the responsibility of the requestor.

Step 3: Apply for monetary burial benefits associated with burial of unclaimed Veteran

⇒ Eligibility may depend on the Veteran's place of burial. VA encourages application for these benefits.

⇒ For some of the benefits described below, VA can only pay the benefit if the Veteran died with no next of kin or other person claiming their remains, and without sufficient resources available to cover burial and funeral expenses.

Monetary Burial Benefits Available for Unclaimed Veterans by Place of Burial

National Cemetery:

VA-Funded State or Tribal Veterans Cemetery:

Private Cemetery:

Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA):

Potential Burial Allowance Items:

  • Non-service connected Burial Allowance
  • Service connected Burial Allowance
  • Plot or Interment Allowance
  • Transportation Benefit
  • Unclaimed Remains of Veteran

Monetary Burial Benefit Descriptions:

Casket or Urn: An individual or entity that pays for the casket or urn used to inter an unclaimed Veteran in a VA national cemetery or a VA-funded state or tribal Veterans cemetery may apply for an allowance to offset the purchase price using VA Form 40-10088, Request for Casket/Urn Allowance. The casket or urn must meet certain standards and must be used for burial or inurnment of the unclaimed Veteran in a national cemetery or a VA-funded state or tribal Veterans cemetery. Review the Casket and Urn Program for Unclaimed Remains of Veterans section for current allowance amounts, standards for caskets and urns, and instructions on how to apply.

Transportation to a National Cemetery (Transportation Reimbursement): Any individual or entity that pays for the transportation of an unclaimed Veteran's remains to a national cemetery for burial may apply for reimbursement of the costs using VA Form 21P-530, Application for Burial Benefits. The application must include a receipt, preferably on letterhead, showing who paid the costs, the name of the deceased Veteran, the specific transportation expenses incurred, and the dates of the services rendered. NOTE: Applicants should annotate "unclaimed remains" to define relationship to the Veteran when completing VA Form 21P-530, Application for Burial Benefits. Use one VA Form 21P-530, to apply for both the Transportation Reimbursement and Burial Allowance benefits.

Burial Allowance: Any individual or entity that pays for the costs associated with preparing the remains of an unclaimed Veteran for burial or inurnment may be eligible for a burial allowance. Submit burial allowance requests using VA Form 21P-530, Application for Burial Benefits. For more information, read how to apply for a Veterans burial allowance. NOTE: Applicants should annotate "unclaimed remains" to define relationship to the Veteran when completing VA Form 21P-530, Application for Burial Benefits. Use one VA Form 21P-530, to apply for both the Transportation Reimbursement and Burial Allowance benefits.

Plot or Interment Allowance: Any individual or entity that pays for a plot for an unclaimed Veteran's burial outside of a national cemetery (or other cemetery under the jurisdiction of the U.S.) may be eligible for a plot allowance. Submit plot allowance requests for burial in a private or tribal cemetery using VA Form 21P-530, Application for Burial Benefits. If the burial was in a state Veterans cemetery, the state, agency or political subdivision of a state may be eligible to receive the plot allowance. States should submit plot allowance requests using VA Form 21P-530a, State Application for Interment Allowance (Under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23).

For more information, read how to apply for a Veterans burial allowance.

Casket and Urn Program for Unclaimed Remains of Veterans

Effective July 31, 2023, VA has changed the Casket and Urn Program for unclaimed remains of Veterans from a reimbursement program to a flat-rate allowance program

What the program does:

Provides an allowance for the purchase of a casket or urn used to inter a deceased, unclaimed Veteran in a VA national cemetery or a VA-funded state or tribal Veterans cemetery if the Veteran died with no identifiable next of kin and insufficient resources to pay for a casket or urn.

Who this affects:

Any funeral home, individual, agency or organization that pays for a casket or urn to support the dignified burial of an unclaimed Veteran in a VA national cemetery or VA-grant funded state or tribal Veterans cemetery.

Amount of allowance:

VA will pay $1,273.00 for a casket or $147.00 for an urn that meets the required minimum specifications to ensure an unclaimed Veteran receives the dignified interment they earned and deserve. Submission of invoice is not required.

Another key change:

VA has eliminated the requirement for caskets to have a gasketed seal as part of the required minimum specifications.

Required Minimum Specifications
⇒ Caskets:

• Standard Size (generally 82 x 28 inches or larger)
• Constructed of 20 Gauge or Thicker Metal
• Has Fixed Rails or Swing Arm Handles
• Is Not Leaking
• Holds the Weight of the Decedent's Remains

⇒ Urns:

• Sealed and Not Leaking
• Made of Durable Material
• Plastic
• Wood
• Metal
• Ceramic / Stone
• Other

To request an allowance:

Complete and sign Part I of the new VA Form 40-10088, Request for Casket/Urn Allowanceand bring to the cemetery on the day of interment. Prior to the interment, have a cemetery official complete and sign Part II. Submit the form and any supporting documentation described in the instructions on the form:

⇒ By fax: 314-416-6340, or

⇒ By mail:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Attention: NCA Finance Services
P.O. Box 141
Triangle, VA 22172

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