The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to helpless child benefits on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support before attaining the age of 18 due to new and material evidence. The Appellant is shown to have been permanently incapable of self-support by reason of a mental or physical condition prior to attaining 18 years of age.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was new and material evidence showing the Appellant's mental retardation existed before he turned 18, which meets the criteria for being a helpless child on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to the age of 18.
- Claimed conditions
- mental retardation, diabetes, high blood pressure, psychological disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- February 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19113186
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19113186.
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
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