To notify the VA of a death, call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000 and select option 5, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.1Veterans Affairs. How to Report the Death of a Veteran to VA A TTY line is available at 711.2Veterans Affairs. Contact Us Call as soon as you can. Every day of delay risks another benefit deposit that the government will later reclaim from the veteran’s bank account.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
The VA uses whatever identifying information you can provide to locate the veteran’s record. Gather as much of this as possible:
- Full legal name of the deceased veteran
- Social Security number or VA claim number
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- Branch of service
You do not need every item to make the call.1Veterans Affairs. How to Report the Death of a Veteran to VA Having the veteran’s DD-214 discharge document nearby helps confirm branch and character of service, which affect benefit eligibility.3National Archives. DD Form 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents
Order several certified copies of the death certificate at once. The VA, DFAS, Social Security, life insurance carriers, and banks will each want their own. Most states charge between $15 and $25 per copy, with a broader range of $5 to $34 depending on the state. A certified death certificate is the standard proof of death under federal regulations, though the rule also recognizes a coroner’s report, a death certificate signed by a federal medical officer, or sworn statements from people with personal knowledge of the death.4eCFR. 38 CFR 3.211 – Death
The Three Ways to Report
By Phone
Calling 800-827-1000 and choosing option 5 is the fastest way to stop benefit payments, which is the most time-sensitive part of the process.1Veterans Affairs. How to Report the Death of a Veteran to VA
In Person
You can walk into any VA regional office with your documents. A benefits counselor can review the paperwork on the spot and give you a date-stamped copy as proof of submission. Find the nearest office through the location tool on VA.gov.
By Mail
Send the veteran’s information, your relationship to them, and copies of any supporting documents to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-44441Veterans Affairs. How to Report the Death of a Veteran to VA
Mail is the slowest option and takes longer to stop payments. Use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery, and never send originals. The VA cannot return them.5VA | Privacy. Reporting Veterans Death Resources and Tips for Survivors
Why Speed Matters: Overpayments Come Back Out of the Bank
VA compensation and pension payments legally end on the last day of the month before the veteran’s death.6eCFR. 38 CFR 3.500 – General Anything deposited after that date is an overpayment.
Once the VA notifies the U.S. Treasury of the death, Treasury sends a reclamation notice to the veteran’s bank. The bank is liable for the full amount of post-death deposits, and Treasury can start reclamation up to 120 days after the agency first learns of the death. If the bank does not return the money in time, Treasury instructs the Federal Reserve to debit the bank’s account directly.7eCFR. Subpart B Reclamation of Benefit Payments In practice, the bank pulls the funds back from the veteran’s account. If a family member already withdrew or spent that money, they can end up personally on the hook. The safest move is to report the death quickly and leave any post-death deposits untouched.
Other Agencies You Still Need to Notify
DFAS if the Veteran Received Military Retired Pay
The VA does not control military retired pay. If the veteran was drawing retired pay, notify the Defense Finance and Accounting Service separately or those checks will keep depositing. Use the online notification form at askDFAS (available around the clock) or call the DFAS Customer Care Center at 1-800-321-1080 during business hours. Have the retiree’s full name, Social Security number, and date of death ready.8Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Report a Retirees Death
If any final pay or allowances were owed to the veteran when they died, a surviving spouse or eligible family member can claim them using Standard Form 1174. Submit the completed form to the government agency where the veteran last served, along with any federal checks still in your possession that were issued in the veteran’s name.9GSA (General Services Administration). Claim for Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Member of the Uniformed Services
Social Security
The funeral home usually reports the death to the Social Security Administration, so a separate call is often unnecessary. If no funeral home was involved, or you want to confirm the report was made, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) with the veteran’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death. The line is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in most U.S. time zones.10Social Security. What to Do When Someone Dies A surviving spouse may qualify for a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment and ongoing monthly survivor benefits, which are separate from any VA survivor benefits.
Survivor Benefits Have Their Own Deadlines
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
If the veteran’s death was caused by or connected to their military service, the surviving spouse may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, currently paying $1,699.36 per month.11Veterans Affairs. Current DIC Rates for Spouses and Dependents Apply using VA Form 21P-534EZ.12Veterans Benefits Administration. VA Form 21P-534EZ There is no hard deadline, but the effective date for payments depends on when you file. Submitting VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) locks in a potential effective date while you gather supporting evidence.13Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 21-0966
Burial Allowance
The VA pays up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for a service-connected death and up to $978 for a non-service-connected death, with a separate $978 plot allowance if the veteran is not buried in a national cemetery.14Veterans Benefits Administration. Burial Benefits – Compensation Service-connected claims have no time limit. For non-service-connected deaths, you generally must file within two years of the veteran’s burial, with limited exceptions.15U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits The application is VA Form 21P-530EZ, filed online through VA.gov or by mail.16Veterans Affairs. Apply for Burial Benefits (VA Form 21P-530EZ)
Accrued Benefits
If the VA owed the veteran money at the time of death, such as a pending disability claim later approved, a surviving spouse or dependent can claim those unpaid benefits. The application must be filed within one year of the veteran’s date of death. If it is incomplete, the VA will tell you what is missing, and you then have one year from that notice to provide the additional evidence.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5121 – Payment of Certain Accrued Benefits Upon Death of a Beneficiary
Life Insurance Claims Are Separate
Reporting the death to the VA benefits hotline does not trigger a life insurance payout. Each VA life insurance program requires its own claim form.
- VA life insurance (non-SGLI/VGLI): VA Form 29-4125e (Claim for One Sum Payment), attached to the death certificate.
- Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI): SGLV 8283 (Claim for Death Benefits), faxed to 1-877-832-4943 or mailed with a copy of the death certificate to the Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance.
- Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI): SGLV 8283, submitted with help from the veteran’s branch of service Casualty Assistance Office.
- Family SGLI: SGLV 8283A (Claim for Family Coverage Death Benefits), through the Casualty Assistance Office.
Check which policies the veteran carried and file the matching form.18U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to File an Insurance Death Claim
Free Memorial Honors to Request at the Same Time
Burial Flag
Request a U.S. flag for the veteran’s burial by filing VA Form 27-2008 with a copy of the discharge documents showing service dates and character of service. If you cannot find the discharge paperwork, a sworn statement from someone who personally knew the veteran’s service can substitute.19Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes
Presidential Memorial Certificate
A Presidential Memorial Certificate is a signed honor recognizing the veteran’s service. Apply online, by mail, by fax at 800-455-7143, through the QuickSubmit tool on AccessVA, or in person at any VA regional office. Include copies of the death certificate and DD-214 to speed processing. If four months pass without a certificate arriving, call 800-697-6947 to check the status.20Veterans Affairs – VA.gov. Presidential Memorial Certificates