The Veteran was awarded a disability rating of 40% for peripheral neuropathy in February 2016, which qualifies him for spousal dependency benefits. He submitted an application to add his spouse as a dependent on September 22, 2019, but the effective date is denied because no earlier claim was filed within one year of notification.
The deciding factor: No formal or intent-to-file claims were submitted within one year of notification for spousal dependency benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20015660
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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