Denied
The Veteran's death benefits claim as a surviving spouse is denied because the claimant was divorced from the Veteran at the time of his death, and thus does not meet the legal criteria for eligibility.
The deciding factor: The claimant was divorced from the Veteran at the time of his death, which disqualifies her from being recognized as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.
- 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
- 19103105
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.