The Veteran is not competent to handle disbursement of VA funds due to ongoing substance abuse and psychiatric issues.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows the Veteran's mental capacity is impaired by ongoing drug use and psychiatric conditions, preventing him from managing his finances effectively.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenia disorder, bipolar type with personality disorder, antisocial and borderline personality disorder, substance use disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20008739
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 A20008739.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's substance use disorder as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that the Veteran's abuse of substances was a result of his PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to VA compensation benefits, but it was an error in fulfilling VA's duty to assist not to obtain a medical opinion addressing the extent of any psychiatric symptoms during service and their effect on the Appellant's behavior. The matter is therefore remanded for further action.
- Whole decision: Granted
An increased rating of 70 percent for 'other trauma and stressor related disorder' with unspecified depressive disorder and substance use disorder is granted, effective March 1, 2013. The Veteran's service-connected disability has caused total occupational and social impairment.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Appellant's discharge from service on November 19, 1973, under Other Than Honorable (OTH) conditions was due to unauthorized absence for a continuous period of at least 180 days. This constitutes a regulatory bar to VA compensation and health benefits.
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