Do Veterans' wives get headstones?

Asked by: Brenna Oberbrunner  |  Last update: October 17, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (60 votes)

Current law provides any current or former military spouse who dies after 1998 with a headstone paid for by the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) if one is requested. Same thing for a veteran.

Does the VA pay for spouse headstone?

Spouses and dependents are not eligible for a Government-furnished headstone or marker unless they are buried in a national cemetery, state Veteran's cemetery, or military post/base cemetery.

Can the wife of a veteran be buried in a national cemetery?

(1) The spouse, surviving spouse or dependent of an eligible Veteran or member of the Armed Forces may be eligible for interment in a national cemetery even if that Veteran is not buried or memorialized in a national cemetery.

What are the burial benefits for Veterans spouses?

If you are a surviving spouse, you do not have to file a claim for burial costs. The VA will automatically pay you a set amount after they receive notice of the veteran's death. Follow the VA's process to apply online for a veteran burial allowance.

Who qualifies for a military headstone?

Eligible deceased active-duty service members and qualified Veterans when their remains are missing, not identified, donated to science, buried at sea, or scattered, and. Eligible spouses and other dependents whose remains are not available, whether or not they pass away before the eligible Veteran.

VA Burial Benefits, Final Expenses, Headstones, Markers, Medallions and Presidential Memorial Cert

40 related questions found

When a Veteran dies, is there a death benefit?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays a benefit called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to your surviving spouse and dependent children if you die of service-connected causes.

Who has the right to put a headstone on a grave?

Despite any other directives, written or verbal, the only people who can decide on the gravesite, including the monument that is placed there, is the person or people who own the Deed of Grant.

What is a Veterans wife entitled to?

As the spouse or dependent child of a Veteran or service member, you may qualify for certain benefits, including health care, life insurance, or money for school. As the survivor of a Veteran or service member, you may qualify for added benefits, including help with burial costs and survivor compensation.

Who gets the $250 social security death benefit?

Program Description. Are you the surviving spouse or caregiver for the child of a worker who died? If so, you or the child(ren) may be eligible to get a lump-sum death payment of $255.

Does VA pay for cremation of a Veteran?

Unfortunately, the VA does not pay for cremation.

Who gets a full military honors funeral?

Any person (Active, National Guard, or Reserve) who has completed at least one enlistment or other obligated military service and received an honorable discharge is eligible for Military Funeral Honors.

Should a husband and wife be buried in the same cemetery?

The location could be a communal cemetery, a family plot, or a private cemetery. It is always best to make this decision together when both partners are still alive, as it eliminates confusion and potential disagreements among surviving family members.

Are military funerals free?

In addition to the burial allowance, the Social Security Administration will also pay a small death benefit to your family. One thing that is always free for veterans is having military funeral honors. By law, every eligible veteran can receive a military funeral honors ceremony.

How can I get a free headstone?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death.

Can Veterans spouses be buried in VA cemetery?

Veterans, service members, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, as well as other benefits, if they meet one of these requirements. One of these must be true: The person qualifying for burial benefits is a Veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, or.

What family members are eligible for VA benefits?

As a service member's spouse, child, or parent, you share in that service member's service and sacrifice. So after your loved one leaves the service, you may qualify for certain VA benefits.

How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus?

Specifically, a rumored $16,728 bonus that had people wondering if it was true or not in 2024? Sadly, there's no real “bonus” that retirees who receive Social Security can collect.

What not to do when a spouse dies?

Top 10 Things Not to Do When Someone Dies
  1. 1 – DO NOT tell their bank. ...
  2. 2 – DO NOT wait to call Social Security. ...
  3. 3 – DO NOT wait to call their Pension. ...
  4. 4 – DO NOT tell the utility companies. ...
  5. 5 – DO NOT give away or promise any items to loved ones. ...
  6. 6 – DO NOT sell any of their personal assets. ...
  7. 7 – DO NOT drive their vehicles.

When a husband dies, does his wife get his Social Security?

Surviving spouse, at full retirement age or older, generally gets 100% of the worker's basic benefit amount. Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker's basic benefit amount.

When a veteran dies does his wife get his benefits?

A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress.

What cancers qualify for VA disability?

We consider these types of cancers presumptive:
  • Brain and brain stem cancers (including glioblastoma and other brain cancers)
  • Head cancers of any type (including cancers of the scalp, face, mouth, aural areas, lips, and hard or soft palate)
  • Neck cancers of any type (including cancers of the neck, pharynx, and larynx)

What is the VA 10 year rule?

The ten-year rule says that the VA cannot revoke a veteran's disability rating if they have had it for a decade or more. That means that the VA has to offer the vet some level of benefits, although there are limited exceptions. Also, the ten-year rule is a moot point for a subset of veterans' disability claims.

What does nee mean on a gravestone?

The prefix nee derives from the French “naitre” and means “to be born”. It indicates the birth name of a woman who has taken her husband's name after marriage.

What is the difference between a gravestone and a headstone?

You might be wondering when you should use the terms headstone, gravestone, or tombstone. If you're marking the head of a grave with a smaller inscription, you're looking for a headstone. Conversely, if you're choosing a larger marker that lies flat over the grave, you're dealing with a gravestone or tombstone.

Who puts names on headstones?

Treanor Stone-tec offers a nationwide service for our Additional Inscriptions on Headstones and depending on how quickly you require your new lettering added to your gravestone we can accommodate you.