The Board has found that the appellant is entitled to recognition as the Veteran's qualifying surviving spouse for purposes of eligibility to DIC and death pension benefits, based on her continuous cohabitation with the Veteran prior to his death in June 2008.
The deciding factor: The appellant presented evidence showing a long-term relationship with the Veteran, including shared property ownership, joint financial accounts, and community knowledge that they were married. The Board found these factors sufficient to establish their marriage for VA purposes despite it not being formally recognized by Ohio law.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2013
- Citation
- 1309704
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 1309704.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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