The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 1, 2003, for adding additional benefits for his spouse. The decision states that the earliest possible effective date is March 1, 2003.
The deciding factor: The effective date cannot be earlier than March 1, 2003, as it must be the latest of four possible dates: the date of claim, the date dependency arose, the effective date of the qualifying disability rating, and the date of commencement of the veteran's award. The earliest possible effective date is therefore March 1, 2003.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0600158
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.