The Veteran's surviving spouse is denied additional accrued benefits as she has already been paid the amount due to her in full.
The deciding factor: The appellant was already paid the amount due to her, including the $28,028.26 owed at death and the $22,609.26 withheld during a period of Survivors Benefits Payments (SBP).
- Claimed conditions
- Agent Orange exposure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19160526
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19160526.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability rated totally disabling for at least eight years prior, and the appellant did not meet other criteria for increased DIC benefits. The claim is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for DEA benefits is inextricably intertwined with her service connection claim for cause of death. The case must be remanded to obtain updated medical records and a VA opinion regarding whether any disability related to service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran’s death, including if it was due to Agent Orange exposure.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the timeliness of his notice of disagreement to a March 2004 rating decision that denied service connection for various conditions.
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