The appellant is not legally married to the veteran at the time of his death, and therefore, she is not entitled to accrued benefits or VA death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran were legally divorced at the time of the veteran's death, making her ineligible for VA death pension benefits as a surviving spouse. She also cannot claim accrued benefits due to the veteran because their marriage was terminated by divorce.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2001
- Citation
- 0113296
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 0113296.
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.