The claimant’s mother died in an accident. The claimant sought payment of death benefits. The insurer denied the benefits, arguing that the claimant was not a dependent of her mother. Adjudicator Watt agreed with the insurer. He noted that while the claimant lived with her mother and did not pay rent, the claimant had earned in excess of $40,000 per year and was employed part-time as a nurse. While the claimant had a close relationship with her mother, she was not principally dependent for financial support. She could not prove that she relied on her mother for 50 percent plus one of her financial needs, nor was her income under the Low Income Cut Off for her geographic region.
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