The Veteran's surviving spouse died in October [Redacted], 2015. The appellant requested reimbursement for the expense of her mother's last sickness, but was denied as she did not meet the relationship requirements for accrued benefits and did not submit evidence showing she paid out of her own pocket towards last expenses or last illness expenses.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not qualify as a 'child' for accrued benefits purposes and did not provide sufficient evidence to show that she personally incurred any expenses related to her mother's last sickness.
- 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 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130689
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.