The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 1, 1997, for death pension benefits. The appellant alleged she tried to file a claim shortly after her husband's death but was told she had too much income to qualify. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) records show that her application for survivor's benefits was received in October 1997, which is after the effective date of September 1, 1997.
The deciding factor: The appellant's claim was not filed within the required timeframe and she did not submit an application until August 20, 1997. The SSA records indicate her application for survivor's benefits was received in October 1997, which is after the effective date of September 1, 1997.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2000
- Citation
- 0008685
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0008685.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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