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Denied

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse, which is a prerequisite to her entitlement to VA death benefits. The decision also noted that if she remarries in the future, she may be eligible again.

The deciding factor: The appellant was not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse due to her remarriage prior to reaching age 57 and because an accrued benefits claim filed more than a year after the Veteran's death was not timely.

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 17, 2024
Citation
24016441

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 24016441.

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