The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) due to being housebound is denied because he does not have a single service-connected disability rated as total, and his disabilities are not separate and distinct from the maximum combined rating of 100 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple disabilities but no single disability rated as total. His TDIU prevents him from being housebound due to service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26038088
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 A26038088.
What this means for you
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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 identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Denied
The Veteran is found not competent to handle the disbursement of VA funds, and his appeal is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder. The evidence is at least in balance regarding whether his current conditions are related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, GAD, and PTSD, as well as his claim regarding the reduction of his rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS are all remanded due to procedural errors. The Board must determine whether the Veteran's discharge from December 1981 to November 1983 is a bar to VA benefits and reconsider his service connection claims.
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