The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as the surviving spouse's adult daughter because she failed to submit documentation of expenses for the surviving spouse's last sickness and burial. Although the appellant testified credibly that she paid cash for these expenses, she provided no supporting evidence such as receipts or itemized estimates despite being given a 90-day opportunity to do so after the hearing.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not qualify as a statutory beneficiary (spouse, child, or dependent parent) and therefore could only receive accrued benefits if she demonstrated she personally bore the expense of the surviving spouse's last sickness and burial, which she failed to substantiate with any documentation.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25019308
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
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