The Board has found a duty to assist error occurred and requires the VA to request Social Security Administration records related to the appellant's application for death benefits. The effective date of DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is remanded.
The deciding factor: There was an error in the duty to assist as evidenced by the lack of information regarding whether the appellant applied for SSA death benefits after the Veteran's passing and/or receives death benefits.
- 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 14, 2021
- Citation
- A21016746
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 A21016746.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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