The Board denied special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance or due to housebound status prior to January 1, 2016.,The Board granted special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance from January 1, 2016. The appellant is in need of regular aid and assistance to keep herself clean, attend to her needs, and protect herself from daily hazards.,Payment of death pension benefits was denied prior to January 1, 2015 due to the appellant's income exceeding maximum rates.,Death pension benefits were granted from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. The appellant’s countable income did not exceed the applicable maximum annual pension rate during this period.,Payment of death pension benefits at the rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents and with the need for aid and attendance was granted from January 1, 2016 onwards.
The deciding factor: The appellant's income exceeded the maximum pension rates for all periods except when she qualified for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and assistance.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoporosis, diverticulosis, nervous disorder, herniated discs in back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19144666
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19144666.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an increase in PCAFC benefits to Level 2, finding that the Veteran requires continuous supervision or protection due to his cognitive decline and repeated falls.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, and will need to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diverticulosis and colon tumor.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including adjustment disorder, benign skin lesions, actinic keratosis, poikiloderma, porokeratosis, Parkinson's disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy, hypertension, increased urinary frequency, diverticulosis, duodenal ulcer, and bilateral cataracts are all granted due to exposure to herbicide agents, mustard gas, and ionizing radiation during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to errors in the initial decision, including inadequate medical opinions and failure to consider all theories of entitlement.
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