The appeal to reopen a claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse was denied because new and material evidence was not provided.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence had not been submitted to support the claim of being the Veteran's surviving spouse, as previously determined by the Board in 2015 and affirmed by the Court in 2017.
- 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 26, 2024
- Citation
- 24004214
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.