Denied
The appellant was denied recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for DIC, death pension and accrued benefits because she was legally divorced from the Veteran at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: The appellant was not married to the Veteran at the time of his death due to a divorce in January 2001, which rendered her ineligible for surviving spouse status.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2020
- Citation
- A20015963
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.