Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of her deceased husband, finding that she was not married to him at the time of his death and thus did not meet the legal requirements for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Appellant and the Veteran were legally divorced in June 2004, which disqualifies her from being recognized as their surviving spouse under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002620
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.