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VA disability and veteran benefits guides
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Ratings & pay
VA math explained: why your ratings don’t add up
VA combines ratings against your remaining efficiency, rather than adding the percentages. That is why two 50% ratings produce an 80% combined rating.
Read the guide Ratings & payThe VA bilateral factor, explained
Certain compensable disabilities affecting both arms or both legs receive a bilateral calculation before they are combined with other ratings.
Read the guide Ratings & pay2026 VA disability compensation rates
The 2026 standard monthly compensation rates took effect December 1, 2025. Your combined rating and qualifying dependents determine the applicable amount.
Read the guide Ratings & payVA disability pay with dependents
Veterans with a combined rating of at least 30% may qualify for additional compensation for an eligible spouse, child, or dependent parent.
Read the guide Ratings & payVA disability back pay and effective dates
Back pay depends on the effective date, the payment-start rules, historical rates, and what you were already paid. It is not simply your new monthly amount multiplied by the time since service.
Read the guide Ratings & payTDIU versus a 100% VA disability rating
Individual Unemployability may allow an eligible veteran to receive compensation at the 100% rate even when the combined schedular rating is lower.
Read the guideClaims guidance
How to file a VA disability claim
Start with an accurate account of your condition, the evidence connecting it to service, and the records showing its current impact. You do not need to exaggerate symptoms to make a legitimate claim.
Read the guide Claims guidanceVA intent to file: protect a potential start date
An intent to file can preserve a potential effective date while you prepare a complete claim. You generally have one year after notifying VA to complete and file it.
Read the guide Claims guidanceYour VA C&P exam: what to expect
A compensation and pension exam helps VA gather information for a claim. Describe your real symptoms, limitations, and history clearly, including how they vary over time.
Read the guide Claims guidanceSupplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal?
VA offers three main decision-review options. The useful starting question is whether you have new evidence, believe the existing record was evaluated incorrectly, or want a Veterans Law Judge to review the case.
Read the guide Claims guidanceFind free, accredited help with your VA claim
A VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization representative can help prepare and pursue a benefits claim without charging a fee. Accreditation is worth verifying before sharing records.
Read the guideHome & other benefits
VA home loans: an earned benefit worth understanding
A VA-backed home loan can help eligible veterans, service members, and some surviving spouses buy a home, often without a down payment or monthly mortgage insurance.
Read the guide Home & other benefitsVA loan funding fee exemptions and disability compensation
Receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability is one basis for a VA funding fee exemption. The exemption removes that fee, not every cost of buying a home.
Read the guide Home & other benefitsHow to get your VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility
A Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, documents VA home loan eligibility for your lender. It does not replace the lender’s credit, income, or property review.
Read the guide Home & other benefitsVeteran benefits beyond disability compensation
A disability rating is only one part of the benefits picture. Health care, home loans, education, and family programs each have their own eligibility rules.
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