The veteran's application for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied as his disabilities are not rated at 60% or more combined, and he does not meet the percentage requirements based on service-connected conditions. The VA determined that his unemployability is due to his own willful misconduct related to alcohol abuse.
The deciding factor: The veteran's disability rating from nonservice-connected conditions did not meet the threshold requirements for pension benefits based on individual unemployability.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol dependence, depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2004
- Citation
- 0411097
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 0411097.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for depressive disorder and remanded the claims for a higher rating for headache syndrome and TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for further development, including verification of an in-service stressor and obtaining additional medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted service connection for migraine headaches secondary to tinnitus, effective April 1, 2021. The claim for an earlier effective date for depressive disorder was denied.
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