The Veteran's former spouse, who is now deceased, was not recognized as the surviving spouse for purposes of establishing entitlement to DIC benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran were divorced at the time of the Veteran’s death, which disqualifies the appellant from being recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefit purposes.
- 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 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19131896
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.