Consumer Resources

Thank you for visiting our website where you will find North Carolina specific information on funerals. Your local NCFDA funeral director is dedicated to providing compassionate, personal and ethical service and support. To locate a member of the NCFDA, please visit the page below:

Find a NCFDA Member

Below are some of the brochures offered by NCFDA to our member funeral homes.

In the Public Interest (Questions on Preplanning a Funeral in North Carolina)

What Do I Do Now? (Help on Administering an Estate)

Advance Directive for a Natural Death (Living Will)

 

We are also providing a link to the National Funeral Directors Association consumer information resource center for more general information on arranging a funeral, understanding grief, cremation and more:

NFDA Consumer Resources

Additional Resources:

Benefits for Surviving Family Members of Veterans -- The Death Pension

Veterans of the United States armed forces and their families are eligible for a number of programs, services and benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The VA provides a Death Pension to low-income spouses and unmarried children of veterans with wartime service* that did not die in service.

Death Pension Eligibility

To be eligible, spouses must not have remarried and children must be under age 18, or under age 23 if attending a VA-approved school, or have become permanently incapable of self-support because of disability before age 18.

 

The veteran must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and must have had 90 days or more of active military service, at least one day of which was during a period of war, or a service-connected disability justifying discharge. Longer periods of service may be required for veterans who entered active duty on or after September 8, 1980, or October 16, 1981, if an officer.

 

Children who become incapable of self-support because of a disability before age 18 may be eligible for the death pension as long as the condition exists, unless the child marries or the child’s income exceeds the applicable limit.

 

A surviving spouse may be entitled to a higher income limit if living in a nursing home, in need of the aid and attendance of another person, or permanently housebound.

Death Pension Payment

The death pension provides a monthly payment to bring an eligible person’s income to a level established by law. The payment is reduced by the annual income from other sources such as Social Security. The payment may be increased if the recipient has unreimbursed medical expenses that can be deducted from countable income.

Death Pension Rates

Recipient of Pension

Maximum Annual Rate

Surviving spouse

$7,933

(With dependent child)

$10,385

Permanently housebound

$9,696

(With dependent child)

$12,144

Needs regular aid & attendance

$12,681

(With dependent child)

$15,587

Each additional dependent child

$2,020

Pension for each surviving child

$2,020

Documentation Needed for Death Pension

When contacting the VA you will need the following documents related to a veteran’s death:

  • Veteran’s marriage certificate for claims of a surviving spouse or children.

  • Veteran’s death certificate if the veteran did not die in a VA health care facility.

  • Children’s birth certificates or adoption papers to determine children’s benefits.

*Certain VA benefits require service during wartime. Under the law, the VA recognizes these war periods:

  • Mexican Border Period: May 9, 1916, through April 5, 1917, for veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.

  • World War I: April 6, 1917, through Nov. 11, 1918; for veterans who served in Russia, April 6, 1917, through April 1, 1920; extended through July 1, 1921, for veterans who had at least one day of service between April 6, 1917, and Nov. 11, 1918.

  • World War II: Dec. 7, 1941, through Dec. 31, 1946.

  • Korean War: June 27, 1950, through Jan. 31, 1955.

  • Vietnam War: Aug. 5, 1964 (Feb. 28, 1961, for veterans who served “in country” before Aug. 5, 1964), through May 7, 1975.

  • Gulf War: Aug. 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES GO TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WEBSITE:  http://www.va.go