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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0214909.
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.