The Board has determined that the veteran's daughter is a helpless child of the veteran due to her mental retardation, which rendered her permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching the age of eighteen.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the veteran's daughter was diagnosed with mental retardation and had been found unable to manage her own affairs or be employed, meeting the criteria for a helpless child under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- mental retardation
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2002
- Citation
- 0202588
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 0202588.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's son, B.L.H., is recognized as a 'helpless child' due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to the age of 18. The Board found that B.L.H.'s mental development disability resulted in significant functional impairment and rendered him incapable of self-support before turning 18.
- Granted
The Veteran's adult son, who was rendered incapable of self-support prior to the age of 18 due to his disabilities, is recognized as a helpless child for purposes of entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for additional dependency compensation on the basis that there is no evidence showing T.M. was permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday.
- Granted
The Veteran's daughter, A.P., was permanently incapable of self-support due to cerebral palsy and mental retardation prior to her 18th birthday. The Board granted recognition as a helpless child for VA benefits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.