The Veteran's death does not qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because he was not rated as totally disabled at any point before his death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling at the time of his death, nor could it be established that he had such a rating for a continuous period of 10 years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2020
- Citation
- A20017957
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.