VA Form 21-530 Application for Burial Benefits

VA Form 21-530 Instructions

1. The claimant should provide the deceased veteran's full name, their social security number, VA file number, the full name of the claimant, their phone number, e-mail address, mailing address. If a claimant is a representative of a funeral home, they should provide the employer identification number;
2. Part I requires information about the deceased veteran. This includes the date and place of birth, date, and place of death, date of burial, where the veteran's death occurred, date and place of entering and separating from service, service number, grade, rank or rating, organization and branch of service. The claimant must give the veteran's full name and service rendered under another name, if applicable and certify that the cause of death was due to service;
3. Part II is for a claim for burial benefits or interment allowance. This part should contain a place of burial or location of cremains, the total expense of burial, funeral, transportation, and burial plot, the amount paid, and whose funds were used. The claimant has to answer several questions: was burial in a state-owned or national cemetery, or cemetery owned by the federal government, who will file claim for expenses, if the plot or interment expenses are unpaid, the amount and source of reimbursement, whether the person spent any amount allowed by local, state, or federal agency, exact amount and source, and whether the veteran was a member of a burial association or whether they were covered by burial insurance;
4. Part III is for the claim for plot cost allowance. This part requires information, whether the burial was in a state-owned cemetery or not, place of burial or location of cremains, cost of the burial plot, date of purchase and payment, whether the bills have been paid in full and whether they have been reimbursed;
5. Part IV is for certification. The claimant signs and dates the form, certifying that the provided information is true and correct. If they are signing the form in behalf of a firm, corporation or state agency, they should submit the organization's full name and address.

Where to Send VA Form 21-530?

VA 21-530 is no longer used. The VA Form 21P-530 should be filed instead. The form is available for online filing and submitting. Alternatively, the form can be filed manually and mailed or presented in person to a local VA benefits office.