The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits in excess of $250, as she is not eligible to receive such benefits due to her age and lack of documentation showing personal expenses incurred for her mother's last illness or burial.
The deciding factor: The appellant is not a child of the Veteran and does not meet the criteria for survivor status. The accrued benefits are payable only to the surviving spouse, children, dependent parents, or the person who bore the expenses of the deceased's last sickness and burial.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183316
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.