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Veterans · IL

Life insurance and burial benefits for Illinois veterans

Illinois is home to roughly 572,000 veterans and has more burial options than most states, with open national cemeteries such as Abraham Lincoln in Elwood, Camp Butler in Springfield, Danville, Mound City and Rock Island, plus the state-run Sunset Veterans Cemetery in Quincy. For families with limited means, the county Veterans Assistance Commission provides burial for honorably discharged indigent veterans, and the state helps pay to set a federally furnished headstone. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more may qualify for a homestead property tax exemption through their county assessment office. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs can help with state benefits and its veterans' homes.

Facts checked against the sources listed below.

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Veterans in the state

572,000

Estimate, 2026

VA national cemeteries

8

Located in Illinois

State veterans cemeteries

1

Built with VA grants

State agency

IL

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs

Life insurance options for Illinois veterans

Military life insurance is federal, so the options are the same in every state: convert SGLI to VGLI after separation, apply for VALife if you have a service-connected rating, or buy private coverage. Healthy veterans often compare VGLI against private term life, since VGLI rates rise every five years.

Veterans cemeteries in Illinois

VA national cemeteries

State veterans cemeteries

  • Sunset Veterans Cemetery — Quincy

Burial in a VA national cemetery, a government headstone or marker, and a burial flag are available to eligible veterans at no cost; see VA burial benefits for current allowances. Source: VA National Cemetery Administration — Find a Cemetery: Illinois

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A licensed agent can check private options side by side with VGLI and VALife. Free, with no obligation.

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Illinois state benefits for veterans

The county Veterans Assistance Commission provides burial for honorably discharged indigent veterans and certain family members who lack the means to pay funeral expenses, and the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs pays up to $125 toward setting a federally furnished headstone or marker. Source: Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs — Survivor and Burial Benefits

Under the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, a veteran rated 30–49% service-connected disabled gets a $2,500 reduction in equalized assessed value, 50–69% gets $5,000, and 70% or more has the first $250,000 of assessed value exempt; file with the Chief County Assessment Office. Source: Illinois Department of Revenue — Property Tax Relief (35 ILCS 200/15-169)

Illinois operates veterans' homes in Anna, Chicago, LaSalle, Manteno and Quincy offering skilled and domiciliary care to eligible veterans and spouses. Source: Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs — Veterans' Homes

For help applying, contact the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Planning for final costs too? See final expense insurance in Illinois.

Frequently asked questions

Where can veterans be buried in Illinois?

Illinois has 8 VA national cemeteries and 1 state veterans cemetery, including Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood. Eligibility rules apply; the cemetery or Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs can confirm.

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Can Illinois veterans keep their military life insurance after leaving service?

SGLI can be converted to VGLI within 1 year and 120 days after separation, with no health questions if you apply within 240 days. Veterans with a service-connected rating may also qualify for VA Life Insurance (VALife). These are federal programs, so the rules are the same in every state.

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Do disabled veterans get a property tax break in Illinois?

Under the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, a veteran rated 30–49% service-connected disabled gets a $2,500 reduction in equalized assessed value, 50–69% gets $5,000, and 70% or more has the first $250,000 of assessed value exempt; file with the Chief County Assessment Office.

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Does Illinois pay a burial benefit for veterans?

The county Veterans Assistance Commission provides burial for honorably discharged indigent veterans and certain family members who lack the means to pay funeral expenses, and the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs pays up to $125 toward setting a federally furnished headstone or marker.

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Sources

  1. VA National Cemetery Administration — Find a Cemetery: Illinois
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VetPop2023 – Veteran Population by State: FY2026
  3. Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs — Survivor and Burial Benefits
  4. Illinois Department of Revenue — Property Tax Relief (35 ILCS 200/15-169)
  5. Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs — Veterans' Homes
  6. Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs

Veterans guides for other states