JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville widow says she's owed money for her late husband's funeral. She came to the Ask Anthony team for help.
Annette Miles' husband died in December of last year. Miles says she paid for her husband's funeral out of pocket. She later discovered he had an insurance policy through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to the policy, the money would be used to pay for his funeral and the rest would go to Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Edgewood Avenue in Jacksonville. Miles says all the money, a total of $20,000, went to the church. She hasn't received any money to cover the costs of the funeral that she paid for, even after speaking with church leaders.
Miles is only asking for $6,000.
"I was very distraught and hurt because I'm going through a lot now. I'm still trying to get over my husband passing, and this made it even worse. It really hurt and it is still hurting me now. All I can think about is what she told me, that the church is not going to give me nothing," Miles said.
The Ask Anthony team spoke with the VA about this issue. The church is not required to give Miles the money. In an email response from Press Secretary Terrance Hayes:
"VA life insurance benefits have separate and distinct requirements from VA burial benefits. VA must pay the life insurance based on the most recent beneficiary designation executed by the Veteran, such as to a church organization. In situations where there was a beneficiary designation of a specific funeral home, but the funeral home did not perform the burial services, payment would be made to the other named beneficiary(ies) on the policy beneficiary designation form. The funeral home specifically named on the beneficiary designation form would not receive the designated VA life insurance benefits because it did not provide the funeral services (i.e., provided no benefit to the Veteran policyholder), which would be consistent with the best practices of the private life insurance industry. These benefits will only be paid to the other named beneficiary(ies) on the policy."
A funeral home was listed on the policy. But, it's not the one Miles used because she didn't know the policy existed. Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church is the only beneficiary listed at the bottom of the document.
Anthony Austin spoke with a church representative who said a vote was brought before the board of trustees and the deacons and the church decided to keep all $20,000.
The church representative admitted they didn't know Miles' husband and they're not sure why he left money to the church.
"They searched the records and couldn't find anything where he attended church in the past or future. What they did is pulled up an obituary and that's how they found out who he was at the time," Miles added.
Miles claims her husband had cognitive issues before his death. She doesn't know why he left the money to the church. Anthony Austin spoke with a church representative who says there has been no further discussion on giving Miles any money.
The VA did give me more information on the type of reimbursements available through the VA:
A surviving spouse may be eligible for Veterans burial allowances if the spouse paid for the burial and funeral costs and won’t be reimbursed by any other organization, like another government agency or the Veteran’s employer. For more information about other eligibility requirements, visit How To Apply For A Veterans Burial Allowance.
If eligible, the surviving spouse may receive these benefits:
- VA burial allowance for burial and funeral costs
- VA plot or interment allowance for the cost of the plot (gravesite) or interment
- VA transportation reimbursement for the cost of transporting the Veteran’s remains to the final resting place
We provide burial benefits for all legal burial types, including cremation and burial at sea. We also provide burial benefits for donating the Veteran’s remains to a medical school.