Denied
The Veteran's death benefits application was denied because the appellant and the Veteran were not married at the time of the Veteran's death, thus failing to meet the eligibility criteria for survivor death benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran had a divorce prior to the Veteran's death, making them not currently married and therefore ineligible for survivor death benefits.
- 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 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20006547
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.