Military Benefits

When a veteran dies, his or her family may be entitled to a number of benefits including burial allowance, headstone or marker, death pension, military honors, and a burial flag. To assist survivors in obtaining these benefits, it is important to have all necessary records in order.

The following documents should be available to aid in working with the Veteran’s Administration:

• Veterans Discharge papers (DD-214)
• Veterans GI Insurace policy ( if covered)
• Birth certificate of minor children

Social Security Benefits

At this time, it is virtually impossible to list all benefits, qualifications, and exclusions since Congress has recently made significant changes in the law and has proposed others. Also, because there are different qualifications for the many individual situations, a detailed discussion with a Social Security Officer is advisable. In planning ahead, you should be sure the following information is available so that survivors may apply for social sucurity benefits:

• Social security number of deceased
• Date of last social security check (if applicable)
• Marriage certificate
• Social security number of spouse and children
• Military record (if veteran)