The Veteran's surviving spouse died in August 2025, and the appellant filed for substitution as a claimant. The VA denied her request because she is not an eligible substitute claimant under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The appellant was over age 23 at the time of her parents' deaths and could not be considered a child for VA purposes to include recognition as an appropriate substitute claimant.
- 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 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26039371
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 A26039371.
What this means for you
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