The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status, as well as increased compensation by reason of his spouse needing aid and attendance. The case is remanded for further development regarding an earlier effective date for special monthly pension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected left wrist disability did not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status, as it was rated at 10 percent disabling. Additionally, his spouse's need for aid and attendance is not eligible for compensation under VA regulations due to the lack of a single 100% service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20080056
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 20080056.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, RLE sciatica, LLE sciatica, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, hypothyroidism, alopecia, and solar urticaria. These claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal as to the issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for left foot metatarsalgia, tinnitus, left wrist disability, right foot plantar warts, and for service connection for right foot plantar warts at a September 2024 hearing. Service connection was granted for migraines.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for migraines, a left shoulder disability, a right elbow disability, a left wrist disability, and a bilateral ankle disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims of service connection for right and left wrist disabilities, including carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis, need further examination and opinion to determine if they are related to service or service-connected conditions.
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