§3.1702. Persons who may receive burial benefits; priority of payments. — Inbound Citations

(d) Sections 1.600 through 1.603 are not intended to, and do not:

(1) Waive the sovereign immunity of the United States;

(2) Create, and may not be relied upon to create, any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law against the United States or VA; or

(a) VA provides the following types of burial benefits, which are discussed in §§ 3.1700 through 3.1712:

(1) Burial allowance based on service-connected death;

(2) Burial allowance based on non-service-connected death;

(3) Burial allowance for a veteran who died while hospitalized by VA;

(4) Burial plot or interment allowance; and

(i) A claim, except as provided in § 3.1702(a);

(iii) For persons listed under § 3.1702(b), except as provided in § 3.1702(a), a statement certifying that the claimant incurred burial, plot or interment, or transportation costs of the deceased veteran.

(3) When a veteran dies while hospitalized at the expense of the U.S. government (including, but not limited to, death in a VA facility) and benefits would be otherwise payable under 10 U.S.C. 1482 and a provision of this subpart B, only one of these benefits is payable. VA will attempt to locate a relative of the veteran or another person entitled to reimbursement under § 3.1702(b) and will ask that person to elect between these benefits.

(1) Except for claims a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a Tribal organization files under § 3.1707 or § 3.1708, VA will pay, upon the death of a veteran, the first living person to file of those listed in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:

(i) His or her surviving spouse;

(ii) The survivor of a legal union between the deceased veteran and the survivor that is not covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph, legal union means a formal relationship between the decedent and the survivor that

(A) Existed on the date of the veteran's death,

(B) Was recognized under the law of the State in which the couple formalized the relationship, and

(C) Was evidenced by the State's issuance of documentation memorializing the relationship;

(iii) His or her children, regardless of age;

(iv) His or her parents or the surviving parent; or

(v) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, VA may pay burial benefits based on a claim filed by a person acting for such estate who will distribute the burial benefits to the person or persons entitled to such distribution under the laws of the veteran's last State of residence.

(1) Except for claims a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a Tribal organization files under § 3.1707 or § 3.1708, VA will pay, upon the death of a veteran, the first living person to file of those listed in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:

(i) His or her surviving spouse;

(ii) The survivor of a legal union between the deceased veteran and the survivor that is not covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph, legal union means a formal relationship between the decedent and the survivor that

(A) Existed on the date of the veteran's death,

(B) Was recognized under the law of the State in which the couple formalized the relationship, and

(C) Was evidenced by the State's issuance of documentation memorializing the relationship;

(iii) His or her children, regardless of age;

(iv) His or her parents or the surviving parent; or

(v) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, VA may pay burial benefits based on a claim filed by a person acting for such estate who will distribute the burial benefits to the person or persons entitled to such distribution under the laws of the veteran's last State of residence.

(i) A decedent's family member, which includes the decedent's spouse or individual who was in a legal union as defined in 38 CFR 3.1702(b)(1)(ii) with the decedent; a child, parent, or sibling of the decedent, whether biological, adopted, or step relation; and any lineal or collateral descendant of the decedent;

(1) An applicant for a memorial headstone or marker, to commemorate an eligible individual under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, must be a member of the decedent's family, which includes the decedent's spouse or individual who was in a legal union as defined in 38 CFR 3.1702(b)(1)(ii) with the decedent; a child, parent, or sibling of the decedent, whether biological, adopted, or step relation; and any lineal or collateral descendant of the decedent.

(1) An applicant for a commemorative plaque or urn must be a member of the veteran's family, which includes the veteran's spouse or individual who was in a legal union as defined in § 3.1702(b)(1)(ii) of this chapter with the veteran; a child, parent, or sibling of the veteran, whether biological, adopted, or step relation; and any lineal or collateral descendant of the veteran.

(1) Except for claims a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a Tribal organization files under § 3.1707 or § 3.1708, VA will pay, upon the death of a veteran, the first living person to file of those listed in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:

(i) His or her surviving spouse;

(ii) The survivor of a legal union between the deceased veteran and the survivor that is not covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph, legal union means a formal relationship between the decedent and the survivor that

(A) Existed on the date of the veteran's death,

(B) Was recognized under the law of the State in which the couple formalized the relationship, and

(C) Was evidenced by the State's issuance of documentation memorializing the relationship;

(iii) His or her children, regardless of age;

(iv) His or her parents or the surviving parent; or

(v) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, VA may pay burial benefits based on a claim filed by a person acting for such estate who will distribute the burial benefits to the person or persons entitled to such distribution under the laws of the veteran's last State of residence.

(1) Except for claims a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a Tribal organization files under § 3.1707 or § 3.1708, VA will pay, upon the death of a veteran, the first living person to file of those listed in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:

(i) His or her surviving spouse;

(ii) The survivor of a legal union between the deceased veteran and the survivor that is not covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph, legal union means a formal relationship between the decedent and the survivor that

(A) Existed on the date of the veteran's death,

(B) Was recognized under the law of the State in which the couple formalized the relationship, and

(C) Was evidenced by the State's issuance of documentation memorializing the relationship;

(iii) His or her children, regardless of age;

(iv) His or her parents or the surviving parent; or

(v) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, VA may pay burial benefits based on a claim filed by a person acting for such estate who will distribute the burial benefits to the person or persons entitled to such distribution under the laws of the veteran's last State of residence.

(1) Except for claims a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a Tribal organization files under § 3.1707 or § 3.1708, VA will pay, upon the death of a veteran, the first living person to file of those listed in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (v) of this section:

(i) His or her surviving spouse;

(ii) The survivor of a legal union between the deceased veteran and the survivor that is not covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph, legal union means a formal relationship between the decedent and the survivor that

(A) Existed on the date of the veteran's death,

(B) Was recognized under the law of the State in which the couple formalized the relationship, and

(C) Was evidenced by the State's issuance of documentation memorializing the relationship;

(iii) His or her children, regardless of age;

(iv) His or her parents or the surviving parent; or

(v) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, VA may pay burial benefits based on a claim filed by a person acting for such estate who will distribute the burial benefits to the person or persons entitled to such distribution under the laws of the veteran's last State of residence.