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Widow's Pension


son

Question

Hello everyone"

My dad recently passed away and my mother was awarded a widow's pension with aid and attendance ...Sadly she passed away right after being awarded the pension...The Family payed for my mother's funeral..My question is will the VA reimburse us for the funeral and other medical bills we payed...I was told to fill out Form 21-601 for accrued benefits..I have not spoken to her VA rep yet..It's been a real rough time losing 3 family member's in 10 month's...

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With award of a Widow's “pension” and not DIC, (Dependency Indemnity Compensation), then I do not see how you can get funeral reimbursement for your father's funeral bills. There might be some burial expenses however that VA would pay.

A survivor's death pension is different then DIC in many ways.

Can you clarify if your mother did receive a wartime death pension or the DIC benefit.?

I know it certainly has been rough for all of you.

This link will give you info on Burial Allowance benefits regarding the deceased veteran:

http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/burials/Burial.pdf

Accrued benefits are payable to anyone who can be substituted as the claimant This is the form for substitution:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-0847-ARE.pdf

(“I was told to fill out Form 21-601 for accrued benefits “

The form is here:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-601-ARE.pdf

The PDF has a lot of info as to beneficiaries. Perhaps you only would need this form and not the substitution form. The vet rep will know how to proceed on that.

Accrued benefits are derived from a claim that was pending when the veteran died, and has to be proven just like any other VA claim.

I assume then that your dad had a claim pending at his death with the VA.

There is a lot here at hadit regarding accrued benefits.

“Accrued benefits are benefits that were due the beneficiary at the time of death but not paid prior to death. Entitlement to

accrued benefits is determined according to the line of succession established by law.”

This is a key statement the VA made on this form info:

“If there are no living persons who are entitled on the

basis of relationship, accrued benefits may be payable as reimbursement for last illness and burial expenses “

These payments only regard the deceased veteran. Was your mother a veteran as well as your dad?

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You will have to file the required Form 21-601 for accrued benefits.. to get anything out of the VA,

You can request reimbursement of the funeral cost, but the VA will not reimburse you as the va only pays for headstones of the Veteran.

Social Security will reimburse you about $200.

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Thxs for the replies everyone...I kind of thought the VA would not reimburse...What had be confused was the directions on form 21-601 section D.

""If there are no living persons who are entitled on the basis of relationship, accrued benefits may be used to reimburse the

person or persons who paid for or are responsible to pay the expenses of last illness and burial of a beneficiary.""....Being the "A BENEFICIARY" the confusing part.....Anyway's would like to also add.what little time i have dealt with the VA on behalf of my mother was very frustrating...I could only imagine what some of you have gone through dealing with this agency....It's a shame what a veteran has to do to get what is rightfully there's to begin with...My father who was rated at 80% when he returned home from the army tried for a 100% rating but was turned down several times so he just gave up ..I can see why...Don't give up to those still fighting the fight..

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