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 assigned
- 100%
- 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A20008739.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.