The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 26, 2008, or any other date prior to October 14, 2011, for the grant of death pension benefits because the claim was abandoned due to the appellant not responding within a year after being requested to provide information on the Veteran's complete marital history.
The deciding factor: The August 2008 claim was considered abandoned as the appellant did not respond to the request for clarification within one year, and her October 14, 2011, new claim was granted with an effective date of October 14, 2011.
- 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
- December 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18159206
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 18159206.
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).
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