2013 Veterans Burial Benefits
Survey

Purpose of
Survey

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting
this survey to improve the quality of our current burial benefits program
and guide its direction in the future. The information we collect will be
used to help serve you better, and you will learn about your burial
benefits as you complete the survey.

Along with taking our survey,
you can also help us by participating in a focus group or personal
interview. If you would like to participate in such an activity in your
area, please provide us with your phone number and/or e-mail address at
the end of the survey so that we can set up a time that is convenient for
you.

Your Burial Benefits

As a Veteran, you may be
eligible to be buried in a national or state Veterans’ cemetery. Burial
benefits include a grave site in one of the 131 national Veterans'
cemeteries or one of the 81 state Veterans' cemeteries, opening and
closing of the grave, perpetual maintenance of the gravesite, a
government-provided headstone or marker, a U.S.flag, and a Presidential
Memorial Certificate. These benefits are available at no cost to the
family and apply to both casketed and cremated remains.

Your
spouse and/or dependents may also be eligible to be interred with you in a
shared gravesite at a national/state Veterans’ cemetery. This benefit
includes burial with the Veteran, perpetual maintenance of the gravesite,
and their names and dates of birth and death inscribed on the Veteran’s
headstone, at no cost to the family.

Some Veterans may also be
eligible for a Burial Allowance, a partial reimbursement of an eligible
Veteran's burial and funeral costs. When the cause of death is not
service-related, the reimbursement generally consists of two parts: (1) a
burial and funeral expense allowance, and (2) a plot or interment
allowance. There are no benefits available to spouses and dependents
buried in a private cemetery. For more information on your benefits,
please visit the NCA website: http://www.cem.va.gov/.

Use of Survey
Results

The Department of Veterans Affairs will be using the
information collected from you to improve services and plan for the future
needs of Veterans and their families. Your responses will not impact your
benefits in any way.

Confidentiality of Data

All
survey responses are kept strictly confidential and will only be used to
report group-level findings. Completion of this survey is voluntary; if
you complete the survey, you may skip any question you do not wish to
answer.

Risk to Participants

There is no measurable
risk to participants associated with completing the survey. Participation
will in no way impact your Veterans’ benefits.

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