Having an application for service connection is only the first step in receiving compensation for a disability. After the claims process, the VA must determine how much you receive in monthly compensation. VA Disability Pay Chart Overview The modern VA disability pay chart enables the agency to determine the amount of monthly benefits based on […]
Are you concerned about lost VA Benefits? In October 2022, the Supreme Court will consider an obscure rule that, in many cases, sharply limits VA back pay in disability cases. The case is Arellano v. McDonough and involves a veteran diagnosed with PTSD in 1981 but did not apply for VA disability benefits until 2011. […]
As part of its fiscal year 2023 budget proposal, the VA wants expanded infertility treatment and payment options related to sexual health. Specifically fertility treatments. It has asked for an additional $10.5 million as part of its proposal, an increase from prior years. The proposal would require legislation allowing the VA to expand covered fertility […]
VA disability back pay represents the accumulation of benefits that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) owes a veteran. Specifically, it’s the compensation that accrues between the effective date of a successful disability claim and the date when the claim is finally approved and processed for payment.
The Compensation and Pension medical exam system has always had a delay. This year, between some structural changes and the coronavirus pandemic, backlog has tripled. Before the pandemic hit, the VA was well into the process of contracting C&P examinations to non-VA doctors. 60% of examinations were by contractors, rising to nearly 100%. During the […]
Starting January 1st, 2021, VA disability recipients saw a 1.3% increase in monthly benefits due to the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustment. This increase is consistent with the rise in Social Security benefits. Understanding the VA Disability Rating System The VA disability rating system is complex and often subjective. Standard addition doesn’t apply when […]
Compensation and Pension (C&P) medical examinations are usually the backbone of a VA disability claim, particularly at the Regional Office level. Generally, these examinations combine a personal examination with a review of the Veteran’s lay statements. Plus, service and other medical records. In 2007’s Stefl v. Nicholson, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) […]
In many situations, lay statements in a disability claim are very effective. Brain injuries are a good example. Since the brain often conceals its own injuries, many of these Veterans do not realize how badly they are hurt. So, a combination of their own testimony and a clinical medical exam only tells part of the […]
SMC And Serious Disabilities Additional Available Compensation It’s about getting the most out of SMC and serious disabilities. If you have a particularly serious service-related disability, you may be entitled to Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) under the VA’s complicated rating formula. In most cases, SMC benefits are available as a replacement for disability benefits, and […]
Veterans subjected to radiation exposure at Enewetak Atoll and the Marshall Islands may be eligible for VA disability benefits. In the early days of the Cold War, mostly during the 1950s, the United States and other nuclear powers routinely conducted atmospheric tests of weapons like hydrogen bombs. Most U.S. testing occurred in the Marshall Islands, […]