Denied
The Veteran's death pension benefits and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits are denied because the appellant is not recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for the purpose of entitlement to VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant was divorced from the Veteran, which disqualifies her from being considered his 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
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147394
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.