The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound was denied as he does not meet the threshold criteria of having a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent.
The deciding factor: The veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities, none of which are rated at 100% and therefore do not satisfy the requirement for special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Macular Degeneration, Arthritis of the Cervical Spine, Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, Pelligrini-Stida Disease of the Left Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- June 29, 2004
- Citation
- 0417313
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0417313.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) incorrectly concluded that the Veteran does not require personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on her disability conditions. The CEAT review overlooked evidence indicating she may need supervision or protection due to neurological impairments, as well as regular or extensive instruction or supervision due to her eye condition and lumbar spine condition. As such, the Board has ordered a new medical opinion to determine if personal care services are required for a minimum of six continuous months.
- Denied
The rating for bilateral macular degeneration was reduced from 100% to 0%, effective February 1, 1972, due to fraud. The reduction and discontinuance of benefits were upheld.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) and (r)(1) based on his need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated as TDIU effective February 21, 2024.,SMC at the housebound rate is granted effective February 21, 2024.,An initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is denied.,A higher rating of hypertension is denied.
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