The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for survivor's pension as a helpless child due to lack of timely submission of an informal claim, and the denial was final.
The deciding factor: The October 2007 submission could not be considered an informal claim because it did not explicitly or implicitly indicate a desire to apply for benefits or identify a benefit sought.
- Claimed conditions
- helpless child status
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19180576
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19180576.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board vacated the August 2019 decision denying DIC benefits as a helpless child of the Veteran due to improper listing and mailing of the appellant. The termination of DIC benefits effective February 1, 2017, was found proper because the appellant's marriage barred him from being recognized as a helpless child.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of proper notification and evidence regarding the appellant's helplessness status. The VA needs to provide clearer instructions on what evidence is required, obtain medical records from private providers, and verify the appellant’s educational history.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Court vacated the September 2014 Board decision denying DIC benefits based on helpless child status and remanded the matter. The motion alleging CUE in this decision is dismissed as moot.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination of E.C. to determine his mental health status and whether he was capable of self-support prior to his eighteenth birthday.
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