The Veteran was awarded a disability rating of 40% for peripheral neuropathy in February 2016, which qualifies him for spousal dependency benefits. He submitted an application to add his spouse as a dependent on September 22, 2019, but the effective date is denied because no earlier claim was filed within one year of notification.
The deciding factor: No formal or intent-to-file claims were submitted within one year of notification for spousal dependency benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20015660
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A20015660.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are dismissed. Service connection for MGUS is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (including PTSD, CAD, DM II, low back condition, left knee condition, and peripheral neuropathy) are of sufficient severity to preclude substantially gainful employment from May 15, 2008 to May 8, 2012.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a walk-in tub under the HISA program due to lack of medical necessity. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.
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