White Paper

WHITE PAPER

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

VA FORM 10-2065 - FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

REVISIONS TO INITIAL APPLICATION FOR BURIAL AND PLOT INTERNMENT ALLOWANCE

ISSUE: Complete minor changes to the content on VA Form 10-2065, which is used by dependents and survivors to request initial benefits for funeral arrangements.

BACKGROUND: VA burial allowances are flat-rate monetary benefits that are generally paid at the maximum amount authorized by law for an eligible Veteran’s burial and funeral costs. A VA regulation change in 2014 simplified the program to pay eligible survivors quickly and efficiently. Eligible surviving spouses of record are paid automatically upon notification of a Veteran’s death, without the need to submit a claim. VA may grant additional benefits, including the plot or internment allowance and transportation allowance, if it receives a claim for these benefits.

DISCUSSION: The dollar amounts for these benefits are set in statue by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). In the past, these pre-determined amounts have been listed on VA Form 10-2065 to provide real-time guidance to those completing the form on behalf of the deceased Veteran. However, these amounts are constantly changing which could present a situation where the validity of the data is in question. A viable solution would be to completely remove the dollars amounts from the form and refer the dependents and/or survivors to the website where these amounts are listed. Since this information is updated on a regular basis, the individual completing the form should always have access to the most current information.

ACTIONS: On June XX, 2016, the VHA Office of Community Care submitted a revised application form for approval from VHA CO PRA. The proposed changes would make minor revisions to the application. A statement would be added to inform that since the monetary amounts are constantly changing, they would no longer be included on the form. The dollar amounts would be removed from the form and the dependent/survivor would be referred to the website where these amounts are listed. The overall burden to those completing the form should be unchanged. A summary of the proposed changes are as follows.

Section	Old application	New application
Remarks	Display monetary amount(s) for burial benefits.	Remove benefit amounts and explanations from form. Add statement: “The monetary amounts awarded for funeral arrangements are regulated by 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23 and may change periodically. In light of this, please refer to the link below where the most current information concerning VA burial and plot internment allowances can be obtained.” http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/burials/Burial.pdf

IMPLICATIONS: Goal is to target these changes for approval as soon as practical to ensure proper guidance can be provided.

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