The Board denied the appellant's claim for additional dependency benefits for her adopted child, finding that the primary legal requirement - living in the veteran's household at the time of his death and being adopted by the surviving spouse within two years after the veteran's death - has not been met.
The deciding factor: The law specifically prohibits payment of additional dependency benefits to an adopted child who was not living with the veteran at the time of his death or adopted by the surviving spouse within two years after the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2002
- Citation
- 0203928
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0203928.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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