The Board denied the appellant's claim of entitlement to helpless child benefits on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.
The deciding factor: The newly submitted evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2007
- Citation
- 0740091
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 0740091.
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 Veteran's stepchild, C.W., was previously removed from his VA compensation due to not meeting the criteria for being a helpless child. The AOJ found that C.W.'s disability onset date was June 30, 2021, which is after he turned 18 years old. The Board determined this finding was erroneous and remanded the case for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's son, E.F., is being remanded for further evaluation to determine if he was permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for recognition of A.S. as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 is remanded due to insufficient notice and incomplete medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's helpless child, R., is already in receipt of additional dependency benefits at the maximum rate due to his permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching age 18. The Veteran's appeal for a higher rate is denied as it does not meet the criteria.
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.