VA Disability Guides
VA disability guides
Plain-English walkthroughs of the VA system from a veteran who went 0 to 100% — no jargon, no fluff, sourced to 38 CFR and VA.gov. Education only; we're not VA-accredited.
New to the jargon? Start with the VA disability glossary.
Conditions & VA ratings
How VA rates common disability conditions
How VA rates the most commonly awarded conditions — by diagnostic code.
- VA disability rating for PTSD (Diagnostic Code 9411)
- VA disability rating for traumatic brain injury (Diagnostic Code 8045)
- VA disability rating for sleep apnea (Diagnostic Code 6847)
- VA disability rating for tinnitus (Diagnostic Code 6260)
- VA disability rating for migraines (Diagnostic Code 8100)
- VA disability rating for back conditions (Diagnostic Code 5237)
- VA disability rating for depression and anxiety
- VA disability rating for hearing loss (Diagnostic Code 6100)
- VA disability rating for sciatica (Diagnostic Code 8520)
- VA disability rating for the shoulder and arm (Diagnostic Code 5201)
- VA disability rating for GERD (Diagnostic Code 7206)
- VA disability rating for hypertension (Diagnostic Code 7101)
- VA disability rating for scars and burns (Diagnostic Codes 7800–7805)
- VA disability rating for the ankle (Diagnostic Code 5271)
Secondary conditions
VA secondary conditions: how secondary service connection works
Conditions caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310).
- VA sleep apnea as a secondary condition
- Secondary conditions to PTSD: how to claim the chain reaction
- Depression and anxiety as secondary conditions
- VA back conditions and secondary service connection
- VA knee conditions and secondary service connection
- VA migraines as a secondary condition
- VA tinnitus and secondary service connection
- VA hypertension as a secondary condition
Free tool: Secondary Conditions Finder
File your own claim
How to file your own VA disability claim
The brand core — how to file your own VA disability claim and stay in control.
- What is a Fully Developed Claim (FDC)?
- The VA nexus letter: the medical link most claims are missing
- The VA DBQ: documenting how severe your condition is
- How to prepare for your VA C&P exam
- How to get your military and medical records for a VA claim
- VA claim denied? Your decision review options, explained
Combined ratings & VA math
How VA combined ratings work (a.k.a. "VA math")
How VA combines ratings, the bilateral factor, and why the math feels off.
- How to get to 100% VA disability (the realistic paths)
- How to increase your VA disability rating
- 2026 VA disability pay chart: how monthly compensation works
- The VA bilateral factor: the extra 10% on paired-limb disabilities
Free tool: Combined Rating Calculator
TDIU / unemployability
TDIU: getting paid at the 100% rate without a 100% rating
Getting paid at the 100% rate below a 100% rating (38 CFR 4.16).
- TDIU eligibility: do you meet the rating thresholds?
- How to apply for TDIU (VA Form 21-8940)
- Can you work and keep TDIU? The marginal employment line
- Schedular vs. extraschedular TDIU: two paths to the 100% rate
Free tool: TDIU Eligibility Checker
Back pay & effective dates
VA back pay and effective dates: how your retro is calculated
What drives your retroactive award — and how to reach an earlier date.
- Reopening a decided VA claim when old service records surface (38 CFR 3.156(c))
- VA effective date rules: how VA sets the date that drives your back pay
- VA back pay after an appeal: protecting your original effective date
Free tool: Back Pay Calculator
Presumptive & PACT Act
VA presumptive conditions: when VA assumes the link for you
When VA assumes the link — herbicides, burn pits, Gulf War, radiation.
- The PACT Act: what it changed and what it means for your claim
- TERA: what a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity means for your VA claim
- VA burn pit presumptive conditions and how to claim them
- VA Agent Orange presumptive conditions and covered locations
- Gulf War illness: VA disability for undiagnosed and unexplained conditions
- Camp Lejeune water contamination and VA disability benefits
Free tool: Presumptive Conditions Checker
OTH / character of discharge
Can you get VA benefits with an other than honorable discharge?
VA benefits with an other than honorable discharge after the 2024 rule change.
- The VA Character of Discharge determination: how it actually works
- Compelling circumstances: when VA excuses the misconduct behind your discharge
- COD determination vs. discharge upgrade: two different doors
- OTH discharges tied to PTSD, MST, or TBI: your two paths
- How to request a new Character of Discharge determination after a prior denial
Separating service members
Filing your VA claim before you separate: the pre-discharge playbook
File your VA claim before you ETS — BDD, the Separation Health Assessment, and the timeline.