## Chapter 2. Development

#### 1. Separate Claim Not Required

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > This topic contains information on developing for     |
| Introducti | > accrued benefits, including                           |
| on {#intro |                                                         |
| duction .u | -   when a separate claim is not required               |
| nnumbered} |                                                         |
|            | -   who should receive notification                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   information to include on the notification          |
|            |     document, and                                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   application filing time limits.                     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > March 1, 2006                                         |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > A separate claim for accrued benefits on *VA Form     |
| ### a. Whe | > 21-601*, *Application for Accrued Amounts Due a       |
| n a Separa | > Deceased Beneficiary*, is *not* required if           |
| te Claim I |                                                         |
| s Not Requ | -   review discloses that there are accrued benefits    |
| ired {#a.- |     due and payable on the death of a veteran, and      |
| when-a-sep |                                                         |
| arate-clai | -   *VA Form 21-534, Application for Dependency and     |
| m-is-not-r |     Indemnity Compensation, Death Pension and Accrued   |
| equired .u |     Benefits by a Surviving Spouse or Child (Including  |
| nnumbered} |     Death Compensation if Applicable),* or *VA Form     |
|            |     21-535, Application for Dependency and Indemnity    |
|            |     Compensation by Parent(s) (Including Accrued        |
|            |     Benefits and Death Compensation When Applicable),*  |
|            |     is being forwarded to a claimant.                   |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### b. W | > Inform the preferred beneficiary of accrued benefit   |
| ho Should  | > information.                                          |
| Receive No |                                                         |
| tification | > ***Reference***: For more information on determining  |
|  {#b.-who- | > the line of succession of preferred beneficiaries,    |
| should-rec | > see                                                   |
| eive-notif |                                                         |
| ication .u | -   M21-1MR, Part VIII, 1.5, and                        |
| nnumbered} |                                                         |
|            | -   [38 CFR                                             |
|            |     3.1000(a)](http://ww                                |
|            | w.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1000.DOC). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

1\. Separate Claim Not Required, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > On the notification document, state the               |
| ### c. Inf |                                                         |
| ormation t | -   approximate amount of accrued benefits due and      |
| o Include  |     payable, if known, on the notification document,    |
| on Notific |     and                                                 |
| ation Docu |                                                         |
| ment {#c.- | -   time limit in which the application (*VA Form       |
| informatio |     21-534* or *21-535*) must be filed.                 |
| n-to-inclu |                                                         |
| de-on-noti |     > ***Reference***: For more information on the      |
| fication-d |     > required time limits for application for accrued  |
| ocument .u |     > benefits, see M21-1MR, Part VIII, 2.1.d.          |
| nnumbered} |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### d.   | > Use the table below to determine the proper time      |
|  Applicati | > limit for eligibility for accrued benefits.           |
| on Filing  |                                                         |
| Time Limit |                                                         |
| s {#d.-app |                                                         |
| lication-f |                                                         |
| iling-time |                                                         |
| -limits .u |                                                         |
| nnumbered} |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| If ...                      | Then ...                               |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| accrued benefits are        | the application must be filed within   |
| payable other than          | one year of the veteran's death.       |
|                             |                                        |
| -   to hospitalized         |                                        |
|     veterans under [38 CFR  |                                        |
|     3.1001](http://www      |                                        |
| .warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CF |                                        |
| R/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1001.DOC), |                                        |
|     or                      |                                        |
|                             |                                        |
| -   as returned checks      |                                        |
|     under [38 CFR           |                                        |
|     3.1003](http://ww       |                                        |
| w.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38C |                                        |
| FR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1002.DOC) |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| an accrued lump sum is      | the application must be filed within   |
| payable under [38 CFR       | five years of the veteran's death.     |
| 3.1001](http://ww           |                                        |
| w.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38C |                                        |
| FR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1001.DOC) |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| only proceeds of returned   | there is no time limit for filing a    |
| and canceled checks are     | claim.                                 |
| payable under [38 CFR       |                                        |
| 3.1003](http://ww           |                                        |
| w.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38C |                                        |
| FR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1002.DOC) |                                        |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+

#### 2. Separate Claim Required

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on developing for     |
| troduction | > accrued benefits, including                           |
|  {#introdu |                                                         |
| ction-1 .u | -   when a separate claim is required                   |
| nnumbered} |                                                         |
|            | -   when to send *VA Form 21-601*, and                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   what information to include on the notification     |
|            |     document with *VA Form 21-601*.                     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > March 1, 2006                                         |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ####       | > A separate claim for accrued benefits is required if  |
| # a. When  | > a claim cannot be initiated on                        |
| a Separate |                                                         |
|  Claim Is  | -   *VA Form 21-534*, or                                |
| Required { |                                                         |
| #a.-when-a | -   *VA Form 21-535*.                                   |
| -separate- |                                                         |
| claim-is-r |     > ***Note***: Issues on appeal to the Court of      |
| equired .u |     > Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) at the date of |
| nnumbered} |     > any claimant's death are in a pending status and  |
|            |     > accrued benefits applications must be sent to the |
|            |     > proper person or persons.                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            |     > ***Reference***: For more information on when to  |
|            |     > send accrued benefit applications, see [*De       |
|            |     > Landicho v.                                       |
|            |     > Brown*](                                          |
|            | http://152.124.238.193/bl/21/Advisory/CAVCDAD.htm#bml), |
|            |     > 7 Vet. App. 42 (1994).                            |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

2\. Separate Claim Required, Continued

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| ##         | > Send *VA Form 21-601, Application for Accrued Amounts |
| ### b. Whe | > Due a Deceased Beneficiary,* to the                   |
| n to Send  |                                                         |
| VA Form 21 | -   surviving spouse, child or children, or parents of  |
| -601 {#b.- |     the veteran, in the order named, if in existence,   |
| when-to-se |     or                                                  |
| nd-va-form |                                                         |
| -21-601 .u | -   person(s) who paid for, or are responsible to pay,  |
| nnumbered} |     the expenses of last illness and/or burial of a     |
|            |     beneficiary, if it appears that no person is        |
|            |     entitled to benefits by relationship.               |
|            |                                                         |
|            |     > ***Notes***:                                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   The claim should be filed by the executor or        |
|            |     administrator of the deceased beneficiary's estate  |
|            |     if                                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   the expenses were paid from funds of the deceased   |
|            |     beneficiary's estate, and                           |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   no person is entitled to accrued benefits by        |
|            |     relationship.                                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   If accrued entitlement exists by relationship, use  |
|            |     *VA Form 21-601* in cases where *VA Form 21-534* or |
|            |     *21-535* would not be appropriate based on the      |
|            |     circumstances in the case.                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            |     > ***Example***: Use *VA Form 21-601* when there is |
|            |     > no entitled child or dependent parent and the     |
|            |     > surviving spouse's entitlement to recurring death |
|            |     > benefits is barred because he/she was not married |
|            |     > to the veteran within the delimiting period.      |
|            |                                                         |
|            |     > ***Reference***: For more information on basic    |
|            |     > entitlement to accrued benefits, see [38 CFR      |
|            |     > 3.1000](http://ww                                 |
|            | w.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_1000.DOC). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > On the notification document with *VA Form 21-601*    |
| ### c. Inf |                                                         |
| ormation t | -   refer the claimant to the instructions attached to  |
| o Include  |     *VA Form 21-601* for information on the             |
| on Notific |                                                         |
| ation Docu | ```{=html}                                              |
| ment With  | <!-- -->                                                |
| VA Form 21 | ```                                                     |
| -601 {#c.- | -   time limits to apply for accrued benefits, and      |
| informatio |                                                         |
| n-to-inclu | -   evidence to submit with the claim, and              |
| de-on-noti |                                                         |
| fication-d | ```{=html}                                              |
| ocument-wi | <!-- -->                                                |
| th-va-form | ```                                                     |
| -21-601 .u | -   state the approximate amount of accrued benefits    |
| nnumbered} |     due and payable, if known.                          |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+