The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to September 1, 2015 for the award of death pension benefits. The appellant first filed a notice of intent to file a claim for a survivor's pension on August 31, 2015, and was granted a survivor's death pension effective September 1, 2015.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not submit an application for death benefits with SSA or VA prior to September 1, 2015 as required by law, which prevented her from obtaining an earlier effective date.
- 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
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071443
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 20071443.
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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