Veterans
Veteran Disability Benefits
Compensation you earned through your service. Here is how to claim it.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays a monthly, tax-free benefit to veterans whose health conditions are connected to their military service. This page walks through it in plain language.
The VA decides your rating. Many state benefits are built on it.
Paid every month, for life, based on your rating from 0% to 100%. See the rates
What it costs to file with an accredited veterans service officer. Find one
Do I qualify?
The VA looks for three things. If you have all three, file.
Your discharge matters. Honorable and General discharges qualify. With an Other Than Honorable or similar discharge, the VA first makes a separate "character of discharge" decision. Many veterans in this spot still qualify, so file anyway.
- A current diagnosisA health care provider has diagnosed the condition.
- Something that happened in serviceAn injury, an event, an illness, or symptoms that started while you served.
- A link between the twoUsually a medical opinion that your condition is related to your service. The VA calls this the "nexus."
Four ways a condition can count
- Direct
- The condition started during service.
- Presumptive
- The VA assumes the link because of where and when you served. This covers many conditions tied to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures under the PACT Act.
- Secondary
- A condition caused by one the VA already rates. For example, a knee injury that leads to back problems.
- Made worse by service
- A condition you had before service that service made worse.
When to file
- 180 to 90 days before you leaveFile through Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD). You need a separation date and must be able to go to VA exams within 45 days. This is the fastest path to a decision. National Guard, Reserve, and Coast Guard members on full-time active duty can use it too.
- Fewer than 90 days leftYou can still file before you leave. It just will not use BDD.
- Already out? File an Intent to File firstThis holds your start date for one year while you gather records. If you are approved, back pay goes back to that date. A service officer can file it with you
- Go to your examThe VA schedules a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. Missing it without a good reason can lead to a denial. Find VA health care near you
- Get your decisionYou get a rating for each condition and a combined rating.
- Disagree? You have one year to appealThe clock starts on the date of your decision letter. Find appeals and legal help
If you are wounded, injured, or ill and cannot do your job, your military doctor may refer you to the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) instead. See the comparison below.
What it pays
Payments are monthly and tax-free. A rating of 10% or 20% pays the same with or without dependents. From 30% up, you get more for a spouse, children, or parents who depend on you.
10% and 20% ratings
| Rating | Now (2026) | Proposed From Dec. 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.92 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $369.50 |
30% to 100% ratings
Proposed The first column is what a veteran with no dependents gets now. The other columns are the proposed rates.
| Rating | Veteran alone (now) | Veteran alone | With spouse | With spouse and 1 child | With 1 child, no spouse | Each added child under 18 | Each child 18 to 23 in school | Spouse needs aid and attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $552.47 | $572.36 | $640.04 | $690.25 | $617.11 | $33.85 | $109.16 | $62.23 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $824.49 | $915.10 | $981.68 | $884.53 | $44.76 | $145.19 | $82.96 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,173.68 | $1,287.21 | $1,370.18 | $1,248.47 | $55.68 | $182.31 | $103.71 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,486.68 | $1,623.13 | $1,722.47 | $1,576.49 | $67.68 | $218.33 | $124.45 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,873.55 | $2,031.83 | $2,148.64 | $1,979.43 | $78.60 | $255.44 | $146.28 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,177.82 | $2,359.04 | $2,492.21 | $2,298.99 | $89.51 | $291.47 | $167.03 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,447.35 | $2,651.48 | $2,801.03 | $2,583.79 | $101.53 | $328.59 | $187.76 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,080.37 | $4,307.86 | $4,474.46 | $4,232.50 | $113.04 | $365.14 | $208.66 |
Announced October 16, 2026. Waiting on Congress to pass it. These rates take effect December 1, 2026 once Congress passes the increase. Always check the official numbers on VA.gov. See the VA's official rate tables.
How combined ratings work. If you have more than one condition, the VA does not add the ratings together. It uses a combined ratings formula, then rounds to the nearest 10. For example, ratings of 50% and 30% combine to 70%, not 80%.
Military rating vs. VA rating
They are two different decisions, and you can have both.
The military's rating
- Asks one question: can you still do your job?
- Covers only the conditions that make you unfit.
- 30% or higher: generally a medical retirement.
- Below 30%: generally a one-time severance payment. The VA usually takes severance back out of later VA payments unless your injury was combat-related.
The VA's rating
- Covers every condition connected to your service.
- Pays for the rest of your life, and can go up if a condition gets worse.
- IDES uses one set of exams for both ratings, so you leave with both decisions.
Vet to vet
You do not have to figure this out alone
Coming home from a life of mission and purpose is hard, and a lot of veterans carry it quietly. Filing a claim is not asking for a handout. It is the next mission: getting what you earned. These are places where veterans talk to veterans.
- Vet Centers: free, private counseling for combat veterans, service members, and families. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.
- Peer support: groups and programs run by and for veterans.
- Teams, trips, and adaptive sports: a reason to get out with people who get it.
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Many of the people who answer are veterans themselves.
Your state adds more
Your VA rating can unlock state benefits on top of federal compensation. Every state is different. Common ones:
- Property tax breaks
- Free or reduced college tuition
- Hunting and fishing licenses
- Special license plates
- State park passes
- Hiring preference
Your county veterans service officer can tell you what your state offers. Find your state and county veterans offices
Free help near you
Pick your state, then choose what you need. Each button opens an Atlas search in your state.
- File a claim, freeCounty and state veterans service officers and VA benefits offices
- Veterans service organizationsService officers at DAV, VFW, American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and local posts
- Appeals and legal helpVeteran legal clinics and legal aid
- VA health careVA medical centers and clinics, where most claim exams happen
- Vet CentersFree, confidential counseling for veterans, service members, and families
- Jobs and Veteran ReadinessVeteran Readiness and Employment offices and job programs
- Family and caregiversMilitary family centers and family assistance
Never pay to file a VA claim
Accredited veterans service officers file claims for free. Some companies that are not accredited charge veterans a share of their benefits for the same work.
Walk away if someone:
- Charges a fee or a percentage to file your first claim
- Promises a certain rating or a raise
- Asks for your VA.gov or bank login
- Is not on the VA's list of accredited representatives
Accredited attorneys and claims agents can only charge after the VA makes its first decision.
Last reviewed October 23, 2026. Sources: VA.gov (disability compensation, pre-discharge claims, and rates) and the Congressional Research Service (concurrent receipt). This page explains how the program works. It does not decide eligibility. For advice about your situation, talk with an accredited veterans service officer. The Atlas lists 5,667 places that give free claims help nationwide.