The Board denied the Appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and her recognition as the surviving spouse for reinstatement of death pension benefits. The decision on the latter was based on a finding that she had held herself out openly to another person after the Veteran's death, which prevented her from receiving benefits.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Appellant had not provided new and material evidence to reopen her claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for the purposes of reinstatement of death pension benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20020571
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20020571.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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