The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the AOJ's handling of the SMC housebound claim, and thus remands the case for further development.
The deciding factor: There was not appropriate development prior to the June 2020 rating decision at the AOJ level, which warrants remand due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Claimed conditions
- Housebound status
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2024
- Citation
- A24068288
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 216 · Granted: 32% (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 A24068288.
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 remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the appellant's housebound status prior to May 8, 2013. The VA needs to obtain a retrospective opinion addressing whether the appellant was permanently housebound as a result of his service-connected disabilities for that period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination for housebound status or permanent need for regular aid and attendance, requiring a new examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding records within constructive possession of VA that were not associated with the claim file prior to the decision on appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to lack of service-connected conditions, as required by law.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.