The Veteran's surviving spouse has been recognized for purposes of VA death pension and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant provided sworn statements attesting to the nature and length of her relationship with the Veteran, unaware that common-law marriages were not recognized in California, and there are no competing claimants.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176153
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.