The Veteran's service-connected GAD with alcohol use disorder does not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has met the economic component of TDIU as he is currently unemployed, but his psychiatric symptoms do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation due to his past work experience and current cognitive abilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 8, 2026
- Citation
- A26001832
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 A26001832.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board restored the 30 percent disability rating for GAD with alcohol use disorder prior to May 8, 2024, and denied a higher rating in excess of 30 percent or 50 percent thereafter.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with alcohol use disorder and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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.