The Board denied a request to establish an effective date prior to April 24, 2015 for the award of dependency benefits for the Veteran's spouse. The claim was based on the Veteran's marriage to his current spouse, D.R., which took place on June 30, 2012. However, VA did not receive notification of this marriage until April 24, 2015.
The deciding factor: The effective date for dependency benefits is determined by when VA receives notice of the event, unless it was received within a year of the event. In this case, VA did not receive notification until three years after the marriage took place.
- 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 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18160912
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 18160912.
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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