The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the 70 percent evaluation of major depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied. The Board found that the earliest date for which his disability worsened and became factually ascertainable was October 27, 2022.
The deciding factor: The June 2022 submission did not provide evidence to warrant an earlier effective date for the assignment of the 70 percent rating as it did not address occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26036405
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 A26036405.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, particularly PTSD. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions and related stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error where VA was aware of relevant private treatment records but did not notify the appellant or request a release for these records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress was granted effective October 29, 2019. He is currently receiving a 70% disability rating.
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