The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound, finding that there was no factual evidence to support a need for regular aid and attendance prior to December 3, 2012.
The deciding factor: The earliest factually ascertainable date for the need of aid and attendance is the date of the November 2013 VA examination, which occurred after the Veteran's claim was submitted on December 3, 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type, loss of use of bilateral lower extremities (due to peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II), shell fragment wound right buttock, shell fragment wound, residual anterior abdominal scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19149492
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,861 · Granted: 27% (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 19149492.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's pension claim for survivor's benefits was denied due to the appellant's income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR).,Accrued benefits were also denied as there was no pending claim at the time of the Veteran's death.,DIC and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are remanded for further action.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type and for service connection for a heart condition are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and verification of in-service exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound due to his service-connected conditions. The Board finds that the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance or by virtue of being housebound have not been met.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia is reopened, and the Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection due to continuity of symptomatology.
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