Category: Disability Compensation

The VA, unfortunately, often makes errors when adjudicating disability claims. The mistakes in judgment may lead to a low rating or a total denial of disability compensation. If you’ve received a low rating or have been denied disability compensation benefits by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, you should check to see if the VA made […]

Winning a claim for service connection for asbestos-related diseases can be difficult due to the need to prove you were exposed to asbestos. Proving asbestos exposure to receive disability compensation benefits can be a complicated process that is likely to be daunting in the face of the health concerns you’ve been forced to deal with. […]

On the 10th anniversary of the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, VA announced that LGBTQ+ service members who received an other than honorable discharge would now be eligible for VA benefits such as vocational rehabilitation, home loan guaranty, compensation & pension, health care, homeless program, and/or burial benefits. Veterans Discharged for Sexual Orientation, […]

The VA announced today that it will immediately begin processing and granting claims for service connection for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis as presumptively related to exposure to particulate matter during service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, or Djibouti. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, stated that he […]

The Veterans Affairs (VA) assigns veterans a disability rating by comparing the severity of a service-connected disability to the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. That rating is then “combined” with a veteran’s other ratings to determine their total combined rating. The total combined rating is then used to determine the amount of compensation paid monthly to […]

Once you’ve applied for VA disability or pension benefits, expect to receive a letter or phone call from the Veterans Affairs (VA) scheduling you for a Compensation & Pension (C&P) examination. A C&P exam is an appointment with a medical professional who will evaluate your disabilities. If your claim involves multiple disabilities, the VA may […]

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 veteran can apply for VA disability compensation benefits any time after service. Put another way, there is no time limit on when you can apply for benefits. Generally, you must satisfy three elements to service connect a disability: Evidence of current disability, i.e., a current diagnosis of a chronic medical condition; An in-service event, […]

Each VA benefit – health care, disability, pension, education, housing, etc. – administered by the VA has its own unique eligibility requirements but there are basic eligibility requirements common to all VA benefits. The most common requirement is whether you are a veteran, and some benefits look at whether you had wartime versus peacetime service […]

A VA disability rating is not truly protected until it has been in effect for 20 years or more. At the 20-year mark, the VA cannot reduce a rating unless it determines that the rating was based on fraud. Prior to then, however, there are certain situations where VA can reduce a disability rating if […]