The Veteran's death was not recognized as a surviving spouse for DIC and death pension benefits due to the lack of valid marriage under Missouri state law, despite the appellant claiming long-term cohabitation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran and the appellant did not have a common law marriage that existed for one year or more before the Veteran’s death in June 2013, nor were any children born from their relationship. The appellant was aware of Missouri's legal impediment to common law marriages.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2021
- Citation
- 21004917
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21004917.
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