The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran, finding that she was divorced from him at the time of his death and did not meet the requirements to be considered a surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the appellant and the Veteran were divorced prior to the Veteran's death, and her claim was based on an assumption that she should receive the Veteran's benefits due to him informing her about them. The Board found these statements not credible given the divorce decree and the appellant's admission in her VA Form 9.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2011
- Citation
- 1134718
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 1134718.
What this means for you
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