Eligible persons
(a) Eligible persons. Gratuitous benefits shall be paid to the living person first listed as follows: (1) His or her spouse, as defined in 3.1000(d)(1); (2) His or her children (in equal shares), as defined in 3.57 but without regard to their age or marital status; (3) His or her dependent parents (in equal shares) as defined in 3.59 or the surviving parent, provided that the parent was dependent within the meaning of 3.250 at the date of the veteran's death. (4) In all other cases, only so much may be paid as may be necessary to reimburse a person who bore the expense of last sickness or burial. (See 3.1002.)