The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral flat feet with plantar fasciitis and degenerative arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, entitling him to special monthly compensation at the statutory housebound rate beginning December 23, 2020.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral flat feet with plantar fasciitis and degenerative arthritis, are rated as total, and his other service-connected disabilities combine to a rating of 80 percent, meeting the criteria for SMC at the statutory housebound rate.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet with plantar fasciitis and degenerative arthritis, coronary artery disease associated with type II diabetes mellitus, type II diabetes mellitus, pilonidal cyst, degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar spine with lumbar spondylosis, radiculopathy left lower extremity, radiculopathy right lower extremity, surgical scar of back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- 25003462
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 896 · Granted: 51% (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 25003462.
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 Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.,Given the grant of TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD, the Veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as total (PTSD) and additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding his service-connected conditions and related disability ratings, effective as of March 16, 2026.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to a lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not currently addressed.
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.