The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a permanent and total disability rating for non-service-connected pension benefits, finding that the earliest date that may be assigned is January 21, 1998, which is when the reopened claim was received.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the prior denial of the veteran's claim became final due to his failure to file an appeal within the time period allowed. Therefore, the effective date for the award of pension benefits could not be earlier than January 21, 1998.
- 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
- October 24, 2002
- Citation
- 0214909
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 0214909.
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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