The veteran's need for regular aid and attendance, combined with his pronounced low back disability and disabling psychiatric disorder, meets the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
The deciding factor: The veteran demonstrated a factual need for aid and attendance due to his disabilities, which included significant functional impairment in both physical (back pain) and mental health (psychiatric disorders).
- Claimed conditions
- Back pain, Migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 9, 2004
- Citation
- 0421809
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 0421809.
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 service connection claims for traumatic brain injury and migraine headaches due to right eye removal are granted. The claim for a compensable evaluation of xeroderma of the right eye is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased initial disability rating for migraine headaches, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 50% rating due to lack of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Veteran's 50% disability evaluation for migraine headaches was restored to May 12, 2021 after the reduction in rating was found not proper.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed due to an improper concurrent election.
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