Veterans who have multiple disabilities are often confused by how the VA obtains their overall disability rating. While it may seem that a condition with a 60% disability rating and a condition with a 50% rating would make you totally disabled, this is not the case. How VA Math Works The VA recognizes that it’s impossible to be more than 100% disabled, regardless of how many disabilities you have. As such, combining a 60% disability and a 50% disability will not earn you a ra

If you’ve applied for VA disability benefits or have filed an appeal, it’s understandable to feel impatient. The VA is known to be slow at approving claims, and it’s not uncommon for cases to take several years to resolve. However, you can easily check the status of your VA disability claim at any given time. Ways to Request an Update There are three ways to check the status of your VA disability claim: Visit the VA website. Veterans can visit the VA website and sign in with

Most veterans are allowed to begin their claim between 180-90 days before separation from military service through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD). With some exceptions, if you have less than 90 days of active duty remaining, you won’t be able to file through BDD, and although you can file before your discharge, your claim won’t be completed until after separation. However, you can begin the process of filing your claim(s). A post-service claim can be made any time f

In order to receive disability compensation from the VA, you will need to demonstrate that you were honorably discharged from the U.S. military and that you have a condition that is connected to your military service: a direct connection, an aggravated connection, a secondary connection, or a presumptive connection. In order to prove you have a disability, you will need medical records supporting your claim. There are other records that you may need, but actual medical eviden

Errors Missing information Documents and facts to help your claim Your C File, also known as your Claims File, is a file compiled by the VA that holds all documentation related to every claim you’ve ever filed with the VA. This means that any information you’ve sent them regarding a claim, any information they’ve compiled on their own regarding your claim, and all documents created by the VA are contained in one file: your C File. It’s quite possible that when you receive you

We all owe a debt of gratitude to United States veterans. When many of us were at home, making a living and enjoying daily tasks, these brave men and women were often overseas protecting our freedoms. Yet, with all that being said, veterans are often some of the most humble people that you will meet in life. They usually do not care to talk about their time in service, and consider it all a part of the job, even though it was often rather extraordinary. Given that veterans ar

Process and Timeline The Veteran Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) was created to streamline the process for veterans who want to challenge a decision on their VA disability claim. There are multiple lanes a veteran can pursue to improve their rating upon initial decisions, one of which is based on clear and unmistakable error. What is Clear and Unmistakable Error? Clear and unmistakable error, also referred to as CUE, refers to a mistake made during a V

The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) is responsible for compensating military veterans who received a disability during their time in service. Depending on the effects military service has on an individual’s sleeping patterns, they may be eligible to file a VA disability claim for insomnia. What is Insomnia? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines insomnia as a “dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality, associate

VA Disability Rating for Neck Pain (Cervicalgia), Cervical Spine Pain, & Neck Arthritis The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) views conditions of the spine through two main categories—neck and back. Back pain typically refers to injuries in the lower half of the spine or the thoracolumbar section. Neck pain refers to the top seven vertebrae of the cervical spine. Pain in the neck—or cervicalgia—is recognized by VA as a disability that should be compensated if caused by mili

It’s important to remember that your effective date only matters if your claim is approved by VA. If your claim is denied, you will receive no benefits regardless of the effective date. The amount of time it takes VA to pay out benefits depends on a number of factors. Everything from the severity of your condition to the quality of your claim can affect how long you have to wait for a claim decision. Once the claim is finally decided and the rating shows up on va.gov —assumin