The Veteran's surviving spouse had no pending claims for additional compensation at the time of her death, and there were no unpaid benefits due. The appellant did not have a valid claim to be substituted as a claimant since there was no pending claim at the time of her mother's death.
The deciding factor: There were no existing accrued benefits payable because the surviving spouse had no valid pending claims at the time of her death and no accrued benefits payable due to her having no unpaid benefits at the time of her death.
- 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 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19105638
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.