The Board has found that the Regional Office did not substantially comply with a previous remand and is now instructing them to review all relevant documents, including Medical Expense Reports and Caregiver Expense Statements, to determine if an adjustment to the surviving spouse's improved death pension benefit award was warranted at the time of her mother's death. The Board also instructed on providing notification to the Appellant about what documentation she could submit to show expenses paid for care.
The deciding factor: The Regional Office did not comply with the remand directives and failed to review all relevant documents, including Medical Expense Reports and Caregiver Expense Statements.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19145940
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.