The Veteran's helpless child, R., is already in receipt of additional dependency benefits at the maximum rate due to his permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching age 18. The Veteran's appeal for a higher rate is denied as it does not meet the criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's helpless child was recognized as such on September 20, 2017, and the monthly payment amount was reduced from $3,787.32 to $2,299.00 upon recognition of R. as a helpless child, which is consistent with VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19191172
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 19191172.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for recognition of A.S. as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 is remanded due to insufficient notice and incomplete medical records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for recognition of T. as a helpless child on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 is granted with payment at the helpless child rate beginning on August 2, 2014.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's helpless child, L.L., needs further medical evaluation to determine if her disability rendered her incapable of self-support prior to the age of 18.
- Denied
The Veteran's son, G.A., Jr., was not shown to have been permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of 18. Therefore, recognition as a helpless child is denied.
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