The Board denied the appellant's claim for death pension benefits due to her annual income exceeding the maximum allowed by VA, despite her contention that life insurance proceeds should not be counted as income.
The deciding factor: The appellant's annual income from Social Security, life insurance, and other sources exceeded the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse, even after excluding part of the cash surrender value of one life insurance policy.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0603159
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.