Few things cause more anxiety for a veteran than opening a letter from VA proposing to reduce a disability rating. The immediate fear is understandable: lower rating means lower compensation, and for veterans relying on that income, a reduction can be financially devastating. But VA cannot simply lower your rating whenever it wants. Federal regulations […]

VA rates migraine headaches under Diagnostic Code 8100, with ratings of 0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% based on how often attacks occur, how severe they are, and whether they interfere with the veteran’s ability to work. The maximum schedular rating is 50%, which makes migraines one of the more limited rating codes in VA’s system. […]

Back and neck conditions are among the most common service-connected disabilities in the VA system. Degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, lumbar strain, cervical strain, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis affect thousands of veterans whose bodies absorbed years of heavy lifting, rucking, airborne operations, vehicle impacts, and the general physical toll of military service. VA rates these […]

If VA denied your claim, gave you a rating that’s too low, or assigned an effective date you believe is wrong, you have the right to appeal. Under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), which took effect on February 19, 2019, veterans who disagree with a VA decision can choose from three review lanes: a supplemental […]

If you have a service-connected back or neck condition and you experience pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that radiates into your arms or legs, you may be entitled to separate VA disability ratings for those symptoms. This condition is called radiculopathy (or sciatica, when it involves the sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs), […]

If you have a 70% rating for PTSD and a 40% rating for a back condition, your combined VA disability rating is not 110%. It’s not even 100%. Under VA’s combined ratings formula, those two ratings produce a combined value of 82%, which rounds to 80%. Most veterans discover this for the first time when […]

Last updated June 2026 with the most recent poverty threshold figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you receive TDIU (a total disability rating based on individual unemployability), or you are thinking about applying, one number matters more than almost any other: the poverty threshold for one person. That figure sets the TDIU income limits […]

A vocational expert opinion is often the most important piece of evidence in a TDIU appeal. C&P examiners are medical professionals. They can evaluate the severity of your symptoms and describe your functional limitations. What they generally cannot do is determine whether those limitations actually prevent you from finding and keeping a job. That’s a […]

Veterans who are incapable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment may qualify for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (a “TDIU” or “IU”). If awarded a TDIU, a veteran will be paid at the 100% disability rate even though their combined disability rating is less than 100%. Substantially gainful employment is generally […]

A nexus letter is a medical opinion that links a veteran’s current condition to their military service or to another service-connected disability. VA doesn’t require you to submit one, but in many claims, particularly secondary service connection claims, claims filed years after separation, and appeals of prior denials, a nexus letter is the single most […]