VA Burial Benefits in Colorado: What Veterans' Families Receive

Veterans are eligible for VA burial benefits if they were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and served on active duty. This includes Regular Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and reserve components with qualifying service. Veterans who died in service or from service-connected conditions are automatically eligible. Non-service-connected veterans are eligible if they were honorably discharged and have no character of discharge issues.

Service length requirements vary by era. Veterans who served during wartime (including Iraq and Afghanistan operations) or who have any active duty service since September 7, 1980 may qualify. Reservists and National Guard members must have served on active duty orders for reasons other than training.

Eligible survivors include the veteran's spouse (if married at death), unmarried children under age 23 (or over age 23 if permanently disabled before age 23), and parents if the veteran has no spouse or children. Spouses of veterans are eligible for burial in national cemeteries even if they are not themselves veterans. Divorced spouses are not eligible unless they remain unmarried and were married at the time of the veteran's death.

There are no income or asset limits for VA burial benefits. The benefit is based solely on discharge status and service history. For burial allowances in private cemeteries, veterans must have been eligible for VA health care benefits, either used them or been entitled to them at death (38 U.S.C. § 1710), or have been receiving a VA pension or compensation at death. See 38 U.S.C. § 2303 for burial allowance eligibility details.

For fiscal year 2024, VA provides burial benefits as follows:

Gravesite interment in national cemeteries: No charge to the family. All costs are covered by VA.

Burial allowance for private cemeteries: Up to $2,000 for eligible veterans. This covers opening and closing of grave, grave liner or vault, and perpetual care.

Headstones and markers: VA provides a government headstone or marker at no cost for graves in any cemetery (national, state, or private). Options include marble, granite, or bronze.

Bronze niche covers: No cost to place in national cemetery columbaria.

Flower fees and flags: Presidential flags and small American flags are provided at no cost for burials in national cemeteries.

Transportation allowance: Limited reimbursement may be available for transporting remains to a national cemetery, depending on distance and circumstances.

COLA adjustments: The burial allowance is reviewed annually but has remained at $2,000 for several years. Any future increases would be announced through VA.gov.

Colorado does not provide a separate state burial benefit beyond the federal VA program. Colorado law does not authorize state-funded burial assistance specifically for veterans. However, Colorado veterans have access to three VA national cemeteries located within the state, which provides significant access without traveling out of state.

Colorado law does recognize veterans in other contexts, such as property tax exemptions and job preference programs, but burial benefits remain entirely federal through the VA system. This is consistent with most states, which rely on the VA national cemetery system rather than establishing parallel state burial programs.

What Colorado does provide is coordination through the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which can direct veterans and families to appropriate federal resources. Colorado county veterans service offices can assist with understanding eligibility and navigating the application process, though they administer federal programs rather than state-specific benefits.

The Colorado Veterans Affairs Commission can provide referrals and information about burial options, but does not provide supplemental burial funding. Veterans organizations based in Colorado, such as American Legion posts and VFW chapters, often assist families with paperwork and connecting to available federal benefits.

Colorado residents have the advantage of proximity to three burial locations managed by VA, reducing travel burden compared to veterans in states with fewer national cemeteries. This is a significant practical benefit even though it is not a state-funded supplement.

Burial benefit claims are denied most often because of incomplete or missing discharge documentation. Families frequently submit without a DD-214 or equivalent discharge papers. The VA cannot verify service eligibility without proof of discharge status. Request a copy of your discharge papers from NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) at archives.gov or call (866) 272-6272 before submitting your application. This is the single most common reason for delays and denials.

Second, many denials occur because the veteran did not meet eligibility criteria at time of death. For burial allowance claims specifically, the veteran must have been eligible for VA health care benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1710, or been receiving VA disability compensation or pension at death. If the veteran never applied for VA benefits and was not receiving them, the family may not qualify for a burial allowance even if the veteran was honorably discharged. However, the veteran may still be eligible for national cemetery burial and headstone benefits, which have lower eligibility thresholds.

Third, missing death certificate or cemetery documentation causes delays. The VA requires an official death certificate and proof that the veteran was actually buried or interred. Submit certified copies (not photocopies) of the death certificate. Include the grave receipt from the cemetery showing the veteran's name, plot number, and date of interment.

Fourth, character of discharge issues block eligibility. Dishonorable discharge, bad conduct discharge, or dismissal from service bars all VA burial benefits. If the veteran received an other-than-honorable (OTH) discharge, they may not qualify. A Character of Discharge Review can upgrade an OTH to honorable, making burial benefits available. See the appeals process for guidance on requesting a discharge upgrade.

Fifth, incorrect identification or military records problems occur when records are incomplete or there are multiple versions of the same name. Ensure all paperwork spells the veteran's name consistently, including middle initial. If VA cannot match the application to the veteran's file, the claim will be denied. Contact the VA Denver Regional Office if this occurs to verify records accuracy.

If your VA burial benefits claim is denied, you have three appeal options under the VA Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). These lanes are free and you should never pay anyone to represent you.

Lane 1 — Supplemental Claim (Fastest): File VA Form 20-0995 within one year of the denial date if you have new evidence the original rater did not consider. This might include a newly discovered discharge document, medical evidence, or witness statement. Processing time is typically 4-6 months. This lane is best if you can submit new evidence proving eligibility (for example, finding the veteran's DD-214 after the first denial).

Lane 2 — Higher-Level Review (HLR): File VA Form 20-0996 within one year of the denial if you believe the original decision was made in error and you have no new evidence to submit. A more senior reviewer will examine the exact same evidence and reconsider the decision. No new documents needed, but you can provide a statement explaining why the decision was wrong. Processing time is 4-6 months. Choose this lane if you believe the VA misinterpreted your discharge documents or made a factual error.

Lane 3 — Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA): File VA Form 10182 within one year of the denial to appeal to the independent Board of Veterans' Appeals. You can request a hearing before a VA judge. This process takes 12-18 months and is most thorough. Choose this lane if the issue is complex, involves character of discharge questions, or you want a hearing.

Deadline: You have exactly one year from the date on the decision letter to file any appeal. After one year, your claim is closed and you cannot appeal unless you file a new claim with new evidence.

Free help: Contact a Veterans Service Officer at your Colorado county veterans service office (phone numbers listed in the State Application section above). They will represent you free of charge at every stage of appeal. You can also contact a VA-accredited veterans organization for free representation. The American Legion Colorado Department (720) 913-8886 and the Colorado VFW (303) 388-1141 provide free appeal assistance.