The Veteran's claim for improved pension benefits was denied as his income exceeded the maximum allowable pension rate. The Board found that the Veteran’s countable annual income, after deducting medical expenses, exceeded $16,051 and therefore did not meet the criteria for nonservice-connected pension.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD and depressive disorder) are remanded. The Board found that further efforts should be made to verify the stressor events and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s income exceeded the maximum allowable pension rate, as determined by his countable annual income after deducting medical expenses.,Further verification is needed for the Veteran's reported stressors and a VA examination should be conducted to determine if there is a relationship between service events and the diagnosed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability (Degenerative Disc Disease), Acquired Psychiatric Disability (PTSD and Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18139957
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18139957.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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