The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, finding that prior to May 21, 2018, she was not precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran was precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected PTSD prior to May 21, 2018, as SSA records reflected near-continuous reported income exceeding the U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a single individual throughout the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25057773
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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.