The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of April 8, 1997, for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance. The RO found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for entitlement to this benefit prior to April 8, 1997.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the earliest effective date was April 8, 1997, as supported by the evidence showing the factual need for aid and attendance in May 1998, but not earlier than that date.
- Claimed conditions
- need for regular aid and attendance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 17, 2001
- Citation
- 0101192
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 0101192.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need of regular aid and attendance was denied as he is in receipt of the earliest possible effective date for his claim, which is June 3, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further action regarding entitlement to SMC based on loss of use of bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as higher rates of SMC given the need for aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance was dismissed because the denial had not occurred at the time he submitted his appeal. The Board found that the issue was premature as a final decision had not been made.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The issue of SMC based on housebound status is dismissed as moot.
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