The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for helpless child benefits on behalf of his son due to new and material evidence. However, further development is needed as a VA social worker or other appropriate personnel must review the educational and medical records to determine if the Veteran's son became permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching 18 years of age.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for helpless child benefits. However, a VA social worker or other appropriate personnel is needed to review the educational and medical records to determine if the Veteran's son became permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching 18 years of age.
- Claimed conditions
- permanent incapacity for self-support
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2014
- Citation
- 1423729
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 1423729.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's daughter, P., is claimed to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday due to sickle cell disease. The Board has ordered a remand for the VA to obtain relevant medical records from SSA and PRISMA Health.
- Granted
The Veteran's child, M.H., is recognized as a helpless child for VA benefits purposes due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining age 18.
- Denied
The Veteran's son, G.J., was not found to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to turning 18 years old. The evidence showed he graduated high school and attended college until his 18th birthday.
- Denied
The Veteran's daughter, D.R., is not considered permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday. Therefore, she does not qualify for additional dependency benefits.
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