The Board denied the appellant's claim for VA death benefits, including dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) and death pension benefits because she is not recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse.
The deciding factor: The parties were married for nearly 26 years but divorced less than a month before the veteran's death. The appellant does not meet the definition of a 'surviving spouse' under VA law, which requires living with the veteran continuously from the date of marriage to the date of death and not remarrying prior to the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2000
- Citation
- 0024820
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 0024820.
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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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.