The Veteran's chronic cluster headaches are currently rated at 50% effective from February 3, 2017. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted prior to this date and grants the increased rating claim. For TDIU, the Veteran has provided evidence of his disability preventing him from working since July 2009, which is within one year of his initial claim. Therefore, the effective date for TDIU is also granted as November 2010.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's headaches meet the criteria for a 50% rating under DC 8100 since at least February 3, 2017, and his disability picture has been consistent with this level of severity throughout the appeal period. For TDIU, the effective date is assigned based on when the disability first affected employment.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- November 16, 2017
- Citation
- 1752700
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 1752700.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting decisions and motions from the Court. The Veteran's sole service-connected disability is chronic cluster headaches, which does not meet the criteria for schedular TDIU consideration. However, the Board finds that his headaches may have prevented him from being capable of obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected chronic cluster headaches are manifested by mild to severe headaches lasting for under one hour. Although frequent, the headaches do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they are not completely prostrating and prolonged or productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected chronic cluster headaches prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic cluster headaches and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remain pending.
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