Death Benefits - Army Pay & Allowances, pay raises, pay allowances, pay charts - Army Times

Death Benefits

Most military installations have casualty assistance officers to help families of service members who die on active duty. The officers are responsible for notifying the family of the death and circumstances surrounding it. In accordance with the family, they also can assist with burial arrangements.

Death gratuity. In most cases, survivors of service members who die on active duty are eligible to get a $100,000 “death gratuity,” regardless of whether the death occurred in the line of duty.

A provision of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act makes a major change in the way this gratuity is paid. The order of survivors to receive the payment (surviving spouse, then children, then parents and siblings, and so on) is set by law. In 2007, temporary legislation allowed members to designate up to half the death gratuity to anyone they chose. The 2008 law now permanently grants service members the right to designate the full $100,000 to anyone they choose, in 10 percent increments. If a member does not make any designation, the money would go to survivors in the standard order set by law.

Burial/funeral allowances. The Defense Department also reimburses burial expenses up to $7,700. A family may be paid up to $4,850 for interment in a private cemetery after the remains have been consigned to a funeral home ($7,700 if the family arranges preparation and casket); up to $3,450 for burial in a government cemetery after the remains have been sent to a funeral home ($6,200 when the family arranges preparation and casket); and up to $850 when the remains are directly sent to a government cemetery.

The Pentagon also reimburses families for the money they spend to transport remains to the final destination.

Honor guards. Military regulations authorize honor guards for funerals of all active-duty members, as well as reservists and National Guard members who die on active duty. At least two uniformed service members will serve on honor details for each military funeral, as long as they are not needed for missions. At least one honor-detail member must be from the deceased member’s branch of service.

Veterans’ organizations will provide honor guards when uniformed service members are not available. An adjutant general’s office, duty officer or commander’s office at a local installation or reserve training center also can provide this service.

Housing. Immediate family members may continue receiving government housing or the basic allowance for housing for up to one year after a service member dies. However, neither a death gratuity nor housing allowance will be paid to a dependent who kills a service member, “unless there is evidence which clearly absolves the dependent of any felonious intent,” according to military regulations.

Death benefits generally are tax-free.