The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 1, 2018 for the grant of Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The SMC based on housebound status was denied as the Veteran does not meet the criteria for this benefit.
The deciding factor: The effective date for TDIU is granted because the Veteran's service-connected headaches and major depressive disorder rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of January 1, 2018. The effective date for DEA coincides with the TDIU effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- March 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26024929
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 A26024929.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
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