The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for nonservice-connected pension benefits is remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his income and employment during the appeal period from April 16, 2003 to April 12, 2011. The AOJ must assess his level of disability and determine whether he meets the net worth and income requirements for nonservice-connected pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence is conflicting regarding the Veteran's employment and income during the appeal period from April 16, 2003 to April 12, 2011. The AOJ must obtain updated financial status reports and determine if he meets the net worth and income requirements for nonservice-connected pension benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the left upper extremity, post-traumatic stress disorder, heart condition, benign prostatic hypertrophy, chronic prostatitis, diabetes mellitus, arthritis of the bilateral knees, ankles, and feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19142765
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (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 19142765.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
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