The Board has determined that the appellant is in need of aid and attendance due to her blindness, and therefore meets the eligibility requirements for nonservice-connected death pension at the rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents and with the need for aid and attendance. The effective date of this decision is August 2, 2019.
The deciding factor: The appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual improved pension rates due to her unreimbursed medical expenses, which were in excess of 5% of the applicable MAPRs.
- Claimed conditions
- blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- A20015839
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the request to readjudicate the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, but denied the claim itself.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for blindness and urinary incontinence were dismissed due to the lack of a decision by the AOJ addressing these claims prior to the filing of the VA Form 10182.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a right eye disability, to include open angle glaucoma and blindness, for further development of evidence related to exposure to tear gas during basic training.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of September 6, 2005, for the grants of service connection and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance (for accrued purposes only) associated with diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction.
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