EXTRA-FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY
VA Disability Benefits
VA Disability Benefits are given to Disabled Veterans with service-connected conditions. To receive VA Disability Benefits, the veteran must go through the VA Disability Process.
VA Disability Benefits are meant to compensate veterans for any decrease in income that may be caused by their disabilities and to provide health care for these conditions.
To determine VA Disability Benefits, the VA uses the laws of the VASRD to assign a VA Disability Rating to each condition a veteran has. Once all conditions are assigned ratings, the ratings are combined using VA Math to give the veteran a Total Combined VA Disability Rating. This overall rating determines the exact monetary amount of VA Disability Benefits the veteran receives.
Each rating, 0% – 100%, receives a different amount of VA Disability Benefits. No monetary benefits are given for a 0% rating (“noncompensable”), and a 100% rating receives the maximum amount of basic VA Disability Benefits. The current monetary rates for VA Disability Benefits can be found on our VA Disability Chart. The same amount is given for every veteran, regardless of rank. The only factors that can adjust the amount of VA Disability Benefits a veteran receives are dependents, like spouses and children.
All monetary VA Disability Benefits are NOT taxable!
In addition to monetary compensation, VA Disability Benefits include free medical care for all service-connected conditions rated 10% and up and any conditions or complications that they cause.
In addition to the standard VA Disability Benefits, the VA also gives Special Monthly Compensation to veterans with extremely severe disabilities.
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Applying for VA Disability Benefits
In order to receive VA Disability Benefits, you must submit a VA Disability Claim. To ensure that you receive the best VA Disability Benefits you can, it is vital that you submit all the proper information along with your claim. Find Your Conditions on our site to know what information the VA will need to rate your conditions. Submitting the necessary evidence the first time will enable you to receive the correct VA Disability Benefits much more quickly.
It is also vital to submit your claim for VA Disability Benefits within 1-year of separation from the military. As long as the claim is submitted within this time frame, you will be entitled to full VA Disability Back Pay, and all of your conditions will be automatically considered service-connected unless there is definite evidence that they aren’t.
If you do not, however, apply for VA Disability Benefits within one year of your separation from the military, all the VA Disability Benefits you would have received for the time between your separation and the VA’s Rating Decision will be lost. Additionally, you will have to provide thorough evidence that your claimed conditions are definitely service-connected.
If you are eligible for DoD Disability as well as VA Disability, then you will go through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System when separating from the military. As a part of this system, you will apply for VA Disability Benefits, so any additional action won’t be necessary. If you do not go through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, however, you will be responsible for independently applying for VA Disability Benefits.
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Increasing Your VA Disability Benefits
The VA will update a veteran’s VA Disability Benefits over time if a condition worsens or improves. To have your VA Disability Benefits updated, all you have to do is contact your local VA office to have your conditions re-examined.
If your conditions haven’t changed, but you disagree with the VA’s Rating Decision regarding your VA Disability Benefits, you can submit an appeal. If you carefully compile all the evidence to support your appeal, you’ll hopefully be successful in getting your VA Disability Benefits increased.