The Veteran's adult son is not eligible for accrued benefits as he did not meet the criteria to be considered a child of the Veteran. The appellant has not provided evidence that he paid for his mother’s care during her final sickness or for her burial.
The deciding factor: The appellant does not meet the definition of 'child' for VA purposes due to being older than 23 years at the time of his mother's death and did not become permanently incapable of self-support before reaching the age of 18 years.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19102948
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.