The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and adjudication of the issues related to spouse status, accrued benefits based on a pending claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits, and nonservice-connected burial benefits.
The deciding factor: Further evidence and financial statements are needed to determine if the appellant was the Veteran's spouse as defined by VA and whether she should be considered in calculating his financial criteria for nonservice-connected pension benefits prior to his death.
- 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 12, 2009
- Citation
- 0905159
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.