The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance based on use of right and left ankle braces (ASOs) for the year 2014 is denied as her non-rigid ASOs do not qualify under VA guidelines.
The deciding factor: VA regulations require that a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance must be certified by the Under Secretary for Health or a designee as a device that tends to wear or tear clothing. The Veteran's ASOs are non-rigid and thus do not meet this requirement.
- Claimed conditions
- ankle disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2017
- Citation
- 1708208
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 1708208.
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 remands the claims for service connection for left and right foot and ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding the Veteran's ankle disabilities and their impact on locomotion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his current knee, ankle, foot, hand, finger, and wrist disabilities. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to assess the relationship between any kidney disability and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the criteria for TDIU have not been met.
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.