When a veteran in your family dies, the first things to do are contact the funeral home, locate the veteran’s DD Form 214 discharge papers, and order 10 to 15 certified death certificates. Once those are in hand, you can notify the Social Security Administration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service if the veteran received military retired pay, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, then file for burial benefits, monthly survivor compensation, life insurance proceeds, and any healthcare or education benefits the survivors qualify for. This guide walks through what to do when a veteran dies, in the order the tasks actually need to happen.
Documents to Gather First
Almost every benefit claim and account closure asks for the same handful of papers. Pulling them together in the first few days saves weeks later.
- Certified death certificates. Order at least 10 to 15 through the funeral home. Fees run roughly $5 to $35 per copy depending on the state. Adding copies to the initial order is cheaper than reordering later, and banks, insurers, and the VA each want their own certified original.
- DD Form 214. This is the single most important document for proving eligibility for VA benefits. Check the veteran’s personal files, a home safe, or the county recorder’s office where it may have been filed after discharge. If you can’t find it and need proof of service quickly for a funeral, fax an emergency Standard Form 180 request to the National Personnel Records Center at 314-801-0764 and note the funeral date in the purpose field. For burial in a VA national cemetery, the cemetery scheduling office works directly with the Records Center to verify service, so you may not need to track the DD-214 down yourself.1National Archives. DD Form 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents2National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 180
- The veteran’s Social Security number and bank details for direct-deposit setup on survivor payments.
- Marriage certificate to establish a surviving spouse’s eligibility for DIC, Survivors Pension, CHAMPVA, and education benefits.
- Birth certificates for any dependent children.
- Any existing VA claim numbers or correspondence. If the veteran had a pending claim at death, a survivor may be able to step into that claim as a substitute using VA Form 21P-0847.
Report the Death to the Right Agencies
Some agencies need to hear from you within days. Delays trigger overpayments that the government will pull back later, sometimes straight out of a joint account the surviving spouse is living on.
Social Security Administration
The funeral home usually reports the death to the SSA electronically. If no funeral home is involved, or you just want to confirm the report went through, call 800-772-1213.3Social Security Administration. What to Do When Someone Dies Social Security payments stop the month after death, and any payment deposited afterward has to be returned. Ask about the monthly survivor benefit for spouses and minor children and the one-time $255 lump-sum death payment while you have someone on the line.4Social Security Administration. What You Could Get From Survivor Benefits
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
If the veteran was drawing military retired pay, call DFAS at 800-321-1080 as soon as you can. Retired pay ends on the date of death, and DFAS will reclaim any payment issued after that date, including from a joint account.5Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Report a Retirees Death DFAS will also walk you through the final prorated Arrears of Pay to the designated beneficiary and, if the retiree enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan, set up those annuity payments.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA has no single form for reporting a death. Each benefit application doubles as notification. Filing VA Form 21P-534EZ for survivor compensation is the most efficient move because it tells the VA about the death and starts the monthly benefit at the same time. You can file it online at VA.gov.6Veterans Affairs. Apply for DIC, Survivors Pension, or Accrued Benefits Online
Burial and Cemetery Benefits
The VA provides burial help for any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, which covers honorable and general (under honorable conditions) discharges.7National Cemetery Administration. Burial and Memorial Benefits There are two tracks: burial in a national cemetery, or reimbursement toward a private burial.
National Cemetery Burial
Burial in a VA national cemetery is free for eligible veterans and includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, and a government headstone or marker. Eligible spouses and dependent children can be buried in the same plot at no cost. To schedule, you or the funeral director should call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern) and either fax discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to NCA.Scheduling@va.gov.8Veterans Affairs. Schedule a Burial for a Veteran or Family Member
Burial Allowance for a Private Cemetery
For a private burial, the VA reimburses a portion of the cost. Apply with VA Form 21P-530EZ.9Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits
- Service-connected death: up to $2,000 for burial expenses if the death occurred on or after September 11, 2001.
- Non-service-connected death: for deaths on or after October 1, 2025, up to $1,002 for burial expenses and up to $1,002 for the plot allowance. These figures adjust each year for inflation.
The VA may also reimburse transportation of the veteran’s remains to the nearest national cemetery. The allowance won’t cover a full private burial, but it takes real weight off the bill.
Headstones, Flags, and the Presidential Memorial Certificate
For a veteran buried in a private cemetery, the VA will provide a government headstone, grave marker, or medallion at no cost. Request one with VA Form 40-1330, or VA Form 40-1330M for a medallion that attaches to a privately purchased headstone.10Veterans Affairs. Veterans Headstones, Markers, Plaques and Urns Spouses and dependents buried in private cemeteries can’t get their own marker, but their information can be inscribed on the veteran’s.
Every eligible veteran’s family can also receive a U.S. burial flag, usually handed over by the funeral home, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate signed by the sitting President. Apply for the certificate online at VA.gov, by mail with VA Form 40-0247, by fax to 800-455-7143, or in person at a VA regional office.11Veterans Affairs. Presidential Memorial Certificates You can request multiple copies for family members.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
DIC is the VA’s main survivor payment, and it is tax-free. It provides a monthly benefit to a surviving spouse, dependent children, or (in some cases) parents when the veteran’s death was caused by a service-connected condition or occurred while the veteran was on active duty.12Veterans Affairs. About VA DIC for Spouses, Dependents, and Parents
For 2026, the base monthly DIC rate for a surviving spouse is $1,699.36.13Veterans Affairs. Current DIC Rates for Spouses and Dependents Higher amounts apply if the veteran was totally disabled for at least eight years before death, if the surviving spouse has dependent children, or if the spouse qualifies for Aid and Attendance. Apply with VA Form 21P-534EZ, which covers DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits on a single application.
One thing worth knowing: the PACT Act expanded the conditions the VA presumes are service-connected, especially for burn pit and Agent Orange exposure. Certain cancers and chronic respiratory illnesses that once didn’t qualify may now support a DIC claim.14Veterans Affairs. The PACT Act and Your VA Benefits If a previous DIC claim was denied because the veteran’s illness wasn’t considered service-connected, file a new application rather than waiting to be contacted.
If the veteran had a pending claim or active appeal, don’t let it die with them. Accrued benefits are included on the same 21P-534EZ, and a survivor can request to be substituted on an appeal using VA Form 21P-0847.
Survivors Pension
The Survivors Pension is separate from DIC. It’s a needs-based monthly payment for low-income surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans. The death does not need to be service-connected, but the veteran must have served during a qualifying wartime period, and household income and net worth must fall under the VA’s limits.
For 2026, a surviving spouse with no dependents can receive up to $11,699 per year, and a surviving spouse with one dependent child can receive up to $15,311 per year, with an additional $2,984 for each additional child. Higher rates apply for survivors who need Aid and Attendance or are housebound. The household net worth limit for the period ending November 30, 2026, is $163,699.15Veterans Affairs. Current Survivors Pension Benefit Rates The same VA Form 21P-534EZ used for DIC also puts you in line for the Survivors Pension, so one filing covers both.
Healthcare Through CHAMPVA
Surviving spouses and dependent children who don’t qualify for TRICARE may be eligible for CHAMPVA, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. CHAMPVA covers a share of doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, and mental health services.16Veterans Affairs. CHAMPVA Benefits Eligibility is tied to the veteran’s disability status or a service-connected death, so it overlaps with DIC eligibility. If you’re filing for DIC, ask about CHAMPVA at the same time.
Education Benefits for Survivors
The VA runs two education programs for surviving family members, and which one applies makes a real financial difference.
Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance)
DEA covers tuition and pays a monthly allowance to surviving spouses and children of veterans who died from a service-connected disability or who were permanently and totally disabled at the time of death. Full-time students receive $1,574 per month for the 2025-2026 academic year.17Veterans Affairs. Chapter 35 Rates for Survivors and Dependents Eligible children can use up to 36 months of benefits between ages 18 and 26.18Veterans Affairs. Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance
Fry Scholarship
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship is for children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. It generally pays more than Chapter 35, covering in-state tuition at public schools and providing a housing allowance. Some survivors qualify for both programs but can only use one at a time, with combined benefits capped at 48 months for deaths on or after August 1, 2011. Children receiving DIC must give it up while using the Fry Scholarship; surviving spouses can collect both at once.19Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship
Life Insurance Claims
The veteran may have been covered by government insurance, private policies, or both. Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance covers active-duty members for up to $500,000, and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance offers the same maximum for veterans who converted their SGLI after separating.20Veterans Affairs. SGLI Increase to $500,000 FAQs To file, contact the Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) at 800-419-1473. Benefits are paid once the insurer receives proof of death. If the primary beneficiary doesn’t file within a year, payment may pass to a contingent beneficiary or follow a statutory order. Don’t let this one sit.
Check for private policies as well. Look through the veteran’s mail, email, bank statements for premium payments, and personal files. Contact each insurer with a certified death certificate and the claim form the company provides.
The Final Tax Return
A final federal income tax return has to be filed for the year the veteran died, covering income from January 1 through the date of death. It’s due on the normal April deadline the following year.21Internal Revenue Service. Filing a Final Federal Tax Return for Someone Who Has Died On a paper return, write “DECEASED,” the veteran’s name, and the date of death across the top. Most tax software handles this notation on electronic returns.
A surviving spouse can file jointly for the year of death, and the IRS treats the spouse as married for the whole year as long as they don’t remarry that year. If the return produces a refund and there is no court-appointed representative, the filer needs to include Form 1310. Surviving spouses filing jointly don’t need it.
VA survivor benefits, including DIC and CHAMPVA, are not taxable federal income and don’t have to be reported. The 2026 federal estate tax exemption is $15,000,000, so the vast majority of veteran estates owe no federal estate tax.22Internal Revenue Service. Whats New Estate and Gift Tax
Protect the Veteran’s Identity
Identity theft against deceased people is common, and it can take months for a death to filter through every database. Write to each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and ask them to flag the veteran’s credit file as deceased.23USAGov. Agencies to Notify When Someone Dies Include the veteran’s full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, a certified copy of the death certificate, and proof of your authority (a marriage certificate or letters testamentary). Request a copy of the credit report at the same time so you can spot any unfamiliar accounts.
Then close or transfer bank accounts, cancel credit cards, and notify any financial institution where the veteran held an account. For digital accounts, most major platforms (Google, Apple, Facebook) let a family member memorialize or delete the account on presentation of a death certificate.
Quick-Reference Timeline
- Days 1 to 3. Contact the funeral home; order 10 to 15 certified death certificates; locate the DD-214 or submit an emergency SF-180; call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 if choosing VA burial.
- First week. Confirm the funeral home reported the death to the SSA (or call 800-772-1213); call DFAS at 800-321-1080 if the veteran received military retired pay; notify SGLI/VGLI at 800-419-1473; contact private life insurers.
- First month. File VA Form 21P-534EZ online for DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits; file VA Form 21P-530EZ for burial allowance reimbursement; request a headstone or marker with VA Form 40-1330; request a Presidential Memorial Certificate; ask about CHAMPVA eligibility.
- First 60 days. Notify the credit bureaus in writing; close or transfer financial accounts; look into Chapter 35 or the Fry Scholarship if applicable.
- By April of the following year. File the veteran’s final federal income tax return.