The Veteran's son, S.M., Jr. is claimed to be a helpless child due to his permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching the age of 18. The claim requires additional evidence from SSA records.
The deciding factor: Additional medical evidence from Social Security Administration (SSA) records is needed to support the claim of helpless child status.
- Claimed conditions
- permanent incapacity for self-support, sickle-cell anemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19115922
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 19115922.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 incomplete administrative procedures related to A.E.'s permanent incapacity for self-support, and the need to implement specific procedures in M21-1.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's daughter, C.P., is seeking recognition as his 'helpless child' due to her permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching age 18. The Board has ordered additional development including a medical examination of C.P.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's adult daughter, S.M., is claimed to be a 'helpless child' due to her permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching the age of 18. The Board has ordered further development as additional medical records are needed to determine if this condition existed before she turned 18.
- Denied
The Veteran's daughter is denied DIC benefits as she was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday due to cerebral palsy.
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.