The Veteran's surviving spouse, K.C., died in March 2013. The appellant seeks accrued benefits and a 'month of death' payment for the period her mother was alive. However, there were no claims or appeals pending at the time of K.C.'s death, so there are no accrued benefits to be paid. Additionally, as the Veteran's surviving spouse, the appellant is not eligible for a 'month of death' payment.
The deciding factor: The claimant does not meet the legal criteria for accrued benefits and 'month of death' payments due to the absence of claims or appeals pending at the time of her mother's death and the lack of eligibility as the surviving spouse.
- 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
- May 7, 2018
- Citation
- 1828137
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 1828137.
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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