The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the addition of his dependent spouse to his compensation benefits is denied. The earliest possible effective date is March 23, 2009, as this award was made based on evidence received within a year of notification of the rating action.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's marriage and dependency were not recognized until after the effective date of the award, making an earlier effective date inapplicable under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Dependent Spouse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1607857
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 1607857.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the overpayment amount was incorrectly calculated and should be reduced from $23,674.92 to $2,550. The Veteran's waiver claim is also remanded for further review by COWC.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's effective date for additional compensation for a dependent spouse is granted as of November 7, 2012.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for dependency benefits for her new spouse, J.L.T., is denied because she did not notify VA of her marriage within one year of the event.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim to add his spouse, L., as a dependent spouse was granted effective from August 8, 2011. The Board found that the earliest effective date available under the law is August 8, 2011.
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