The Board denied the claims for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for service connection for cause of death and VA death pension benefits, and eligibility for accrued benefits. The decision is based on the Appellant not meeting the requirements to be considered a surviving spouse due to separation from the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish continuous cohabitation between the Appellant and the Veteran at the time of his 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
- March 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19114751
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19114751.
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.