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Dismissed

The Board dismissed the appeal as it granted Special Monthly Pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person, effective from October 23, 2018. The appellant's claim was for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The deciding factor: The grant of SMP based on the need for aid and attendance of another person constitutes a full grant of the benefit sought because it is the higher benefit.

Claimed conditions
Not specified in this decision
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
0%
Decision date
May 29, 2020
Citation
A20009553

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 A20009553.

What this means for you

A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.

What you can do next

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