The Board has determined that the appellant lived with the Veteran continuously from their marriage to his death, meeting the requirement for recognition as a surviving spouse for purposes of establishing DIC benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in relative equipoise that the appellant lived with the Veteran continuously from the date of their marriage to the date of the Veteran’s death, except for temporary separations due to health reasons and one incident where the Veteran was verbally abusive. The Board found no fault on the part of the appellant.
- 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 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146141
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.