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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0328502.
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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