The Veteran's widow was granted death pension benefits with an allowance for aid and attendance. She died in February 2010, prior to the payment of withheld death pension benefits due to incompetency. The appellant is the beneficiary's daughter but not a child under VA regulations, so she can only be reimbursed for funeral expenses.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was granted death pension benefits with aid and attendance, which were delayed due to incompetency. She died from congestive heart failure, considered part of her 'last sickness' as defined by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18111356
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 18111356.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Granted
The Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) is related to his service-connected hypertension, and the Board has granted service connection for CAD as secondary to hypertension.
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