The veteran died in June 2001. The appellant submitted a VA Form 21-534 for DIC benefits on April 28, 2003, which is the earliest effective date available given that no prior claim was filed within one year of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not submit her claim for DIC benefits within one year of the veteran's death, as required by law.
- Claimed conditions
- Cause of death (not specified)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2007
- Citation
- 0714127
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 0714127.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the appeal because the Appellant did not timely file a substantive appeal after receiving the SOC, and there were no circumstances that would warrant equitable tolling.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's service records are not available and remands for further action to attempt to obtain them. The Appellant is also advised to file a substantive appeal regarding her claim for death pension benefits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.