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Whole decision: Denied

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits due to her incarceration at the time of the veteran's death and lack of continuous cohabitation.

The deciding factor: The separation was not due to the fault of the appellant, but she did not live continuously with the veteran from the date of marriage to the date of his death.

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 29, 2007
Citation
0733935

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 0733935.

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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