The appellant seeks to be recognized as a 'helpless child' of the veteran for the purposes of receiving VA DIC benefits due to her congenital heart disability. The RO has requested additional evidence from the appellant and her family members, including school records and statements from current treating physicians.
The deciding factor: The appellant's daughter was not recognized as a 'helpless child' based on permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 due to lack of sufficient evidence regarding her condition and its impact on her ability to support herself.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital heart disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2007
- Citation
- 0715501
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 0715501.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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