The Board has determined that the appeal should be remanded to determine if there was a pending claim for accrued benefits prior to the death of the Payee, whether any such benefits were payable at the time of her death, and if the Appellant is eligible to substitute as the claimant. The AOJ will need to review the September 2017 documents from the Appellant describing caregiver services, the bank statement, and the June 2017 statements from caregivers.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are pending issues regarding whether a claim was filed prior to the Payee's death, if any accrued benefits were payable at her time of death, and if the Appellant is eligible for substitution as the claimant. These issues need further clarification and evidence review.
- 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 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21066346
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 21066346.
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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