The appellant's claims for surviving spouse benefits and accrued benefits are denied as she was not the Veteran's legal spouse at his death, her claim for survivor pension benefits is untimely, and there were no unpaid benefits due to the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The appellant was legally divorced from the Veteran prior to his death, making her ineligible for surviving spouse benefits. Her application for accrued benefits was also untimely.
- 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 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19115899
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 19115899.
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.