Denied
The Board found that the Appellant does not qualify as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of entitlement to DIC due to their valid divorce prior to the Veteran's death in October 2005.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that the Appellant and Veteran were legally divorced in September 1975, which precluded her from being considered a 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
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19180744
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.