The Board has remanded the cases for further development regarding accrued benefits and death benefits due to the appellant's status as a legal guardian of the Veteran's minor children. The appellant is not eligible for DIC, but her claims for death benefits and accrued benefits are being remanded.
The deciding factor: The appellant was not married to the Veteran at the time of his death, thus she does not meet the criteria for surviving spouse status required for eligibility to receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
- 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 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007963
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.