The Board found that an effective date earlier than October 1, 1998 for the award of DIC is not warranted due to the appellant's marriage being less than one year and lack of children born from it. The January 1970 decision denying DIC was final.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not demonstrate that the appellant was a widower incapable of self-maintenance and permanently incapable of self-support at the time of the veteran's death, nor did it show he had been married to the veteran for one year or more prior to her death or that a child had been born of the marriage.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2002
- Citation
- 0203895
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 0203895.
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.