The Board granted an earlier effective date of April 16, 2020 for the grant of a special monthly survivor pension due to the need for aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The appellant submitted an intent to file a claim on April 16, 2020 and provided evidence establishing entitlement to such benefits in July 2021. The RO denied the initial claim in September 2020 but did not send notification of denial as required.
- Claimed conditions
- need for aid and attendance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2021
- Citation
- A21020342
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 A21020342.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of SMC-T benefits based on a need for aid and attendance. The Board finds that the AOJ committed Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) in its December 2019 rating decision, but lacks legal authority to adjudicate CUE motions. Therefore, the claim is remanded for the AOJ to address these issues.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal to increase the level of special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance was dismissed as the July 2025 VA Form 10182 did not identify the date of the April 2023 Board decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding private treatment records not being associated with the claims file. The appellant's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) is pending and will be reconsidered after obtaining any missing records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding the appellant's entitlement to special monthly pension (SMP) based on her need for aid and attendance, including a VA examination.
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