The Board denied both issues on appeal, finding that the effective dates for dependency benefits could not be backdated to May 2015 as requested by the Veteran. The effective date for dependency benefits for the stepson was granted as of August 1, 2016, but the effective date for the spouse's benefits was denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no formal claim or intent to file a claim for the spouse's benefits prior to July 26, 2016, and thus could not be backdated to May 2015 as requested by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Dependents (stepson and spouse)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107458
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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