The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent, and an increased rating higher than 10 percent is not warranted.,An increased rating of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder from April 14, 2019, is granted. The Veteran also received a 100 percent rating effective October 21, 2019.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted and effective since April 14, 2019.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of forward flexion limited to 60 degrees or less, a combined range of motion of less than 120 degrees, muscle spasm or guarding resulting in an abnormal gait or spinal contour, intervertebral disc syndrome with any incapacitating episodes, or symptoms closely approximating such limitations for the low back disability.,The October 2020 VA examination noted total social and occupational impairment, including delusions, hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, grandiose delusions, tangential thought process, word salad, insomnia, agitation, mood swings, and visual and auditory hallucinations.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted based on his service-connected disabilities amounting to a combined disability rating of at least 70 percent with one disability rated at least 40 percent disabling.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability (Lumbosacral Strain), Schizoaffective Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24041949
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 A24041949.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and Schizoaffective Disorder as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD, the appellant did not become disabled due to schizoaffective disorder in the line of duty during a period of active duty for training or inactive duty for training, and the evidence does not support an in-service injury or disease that could be directly related to the later diagnosed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA needs to obtain a more detailed and thoroughly explained medical opinion regarding the Veteran's need for personal care services.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD has rendered him housebound in fact since February 1, 2025. The Board granted entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s)(2).
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 20, 2007 for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and increased ratings to 70% from March 27, 2020 to June 5, 2020, and 100% from June 5, 2020. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.
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