Persons paying for the burial and funeral costs of a veteran may be eligible for veterans burial allowance if those payments are not being reimbursed by another organization like another government agency or the veteran’s employer. Additional requirements must also be met.

A claim must be filed for a non-service-connected burial allowance within two years after the veteran’s burial. If a veteran’s discharge was changed after death from dishonorable to another status, an allowance claim must be filed within two years after the discharge update. There is no time limit to file for a service-connected burial, plot, or interment allowance.