The Veteran's widow died in August 2006 and was awarded nonservice-connected death pension benefits. The appellant, the widow's niece, filed a claim for accrued benefits to cover funeral and burial expenses of her aunt. After returning two uncashed VA checks from the widow, the appellant received $601.00 in accrued benefits. The Board found that only $601.00 was available to reimburse the appellant for her expenditures on behalf of the Veteran's widow.
The deciding factor: The appellant is not entitled to additional accrued benefits as she has already been paid the maximum amount ($601.00) available to reimburse her for burial expenses incurred on behalf of the Veteran's widow.
- 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 23, 2012
- Citation
- 1236635
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1236635.
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).
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.