The Veteran's son, M.B., was found to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday due to disabilities including cerebral palsy and learning disorders. The Board granted recognition as a helpless child.
The deciding factor: M.B.'s developmental disabilities existed prior to his becoming 18 and rendered him incapable of self-support, with the weight of evidence indicating he has been incapable of self-support despite intermittent employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Cerebral Palsy, Learning Disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2018
- Citation
- 18130624
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 18130624.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as a helpless child of his father due to his previous marriage, which occurred after November 1, 1990. The appellant was previously married and divorced in February 1993, and thus did not meet the eligibility criteria for VA benefits.
- Denied
The Veteran's surviving brother is not eligible for increased DIC benefits as he does not meet the legal requirements of being a child, illegitimate child, or stepchild of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's cerebral palsy was incurred during service and granted service connection. However, it determined that his low back disability did not have its clinical onset in service or is otherwise related to his active service.
- Denied
The Board found that the appellant was not permanently incapable of self-support at the age of 18 due to her cerebral palsy, and thus is not eligible for VA benefits on the basis of helpless child status.
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