The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for pension benefits, finding that no legal basis existed to grant such a request given the finality of the September 1988 decision and the lack of any subsequent claims or evidence submitted by the veteran.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not submit a valid claim for pension benefits prior to September 2001, which is when his most recent application was received. The previous denial in 1988 became final due to the absence of an appeal. Therefore, no effective date earlier than September 17, 2001 can be granted.
- 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 22, 2003
- Citation
- 0328502
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 0328502.
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.