The Veteran's surviving spouse died in August 2015, and the appellant was paid $10,627.32 for burial expenses. The appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits as she did not meet the legal requirements.
The deciding factor: The appellant is an adult child of the Veteran and does not meet the definition of 'child' in the statute, nor is she entitled to accrued benefits as the power of attorney for the late surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19128357
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.