Every VA Benefit. Explained.

File online at VA.gov, by mail, or for free with an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO). A strong claim shows three things: a current diagnosed condition, an in-service event or exposure, and a medical "nexus" linking the two. File an Intent to File first to lock in your effective date.

Compensation is tax-free and increases with your combined rating and number of dependents. The 2026 monthly rates run from a small amount at 10% up to roughly $3,900+ at 100% for a single veteran, with more for dependents.

Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays at the 100% rate when service-connected conditions keep you from holding steady, substantially gainful work — even if your combined rating is below 100%. It generally needs one condition at 60%, or a combined 70% with one at 40%.

The VA does not add ratings together. It uses "whole-person" math on your remaining healthy percentage, then rounds the result to the nearest 10%. So 50% and 30% combine to about 65%, which rounds to 70%.

The PACT Act (2022) is the largest expansion of toxic-exposure benefits in decades. It added presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and radiation, expanded eligibility, and extended filing windows — meaning many veterans no longer have to prove their condition was caused by service.

Yes. Standard (schedular) disability ratings have no work or income limit — you can work full time at any rating. The only exception is TDIU, which requires that you not be substantially gainfully employed.

Under the Appeals Modernization Act you have three lanes: a Supplemental Claim (add new evidence), a Higher-Level Review (a senior reviewer, no new evidence), or a Board appeal. You can also file for an increase any time a condition worsens.

At a 30% rating or higher you can add a spouse, children, and dependent parents to your monthly pay. Survivors of a service-connected death may qualify for tax-free DIC, education benefits (Fry Scholarship or DEA), and CHAMPVA health coverage.

Costs depend on your priority group, which is set by your rating, service, and income — many veterans pay little or nothing. Recently separated combat veterans get enhanced enrollment, and the first year of mental health care requires no rating and no claim.

A nexus letter is a written medical opinion from a qualified clinician stating it is "at least as likely as not" that your condition is connected to your service. It is frequently the single most important piece of evidence in a claim.