The Board has determined that the Appellant is now considered to be the surviving spouse of the Veteran, and could receive death pension benefits. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Appellant's income and expenses.
The deciding factor: The decision found that the Appellant did not know of the legal impediment regarding her common law marriage to the Veteran, thus meeting the requirements for a deemed valid marriage.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23021013
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 23021013.
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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