Timing Of Di Application And Entitlement
Chart 3 shows that nearly three-quarters of the disabled veterans awarded a VA rating of 100% or IU also applied for DI benefits at some point. Within that group, about 70 percent had already filed their first DI application before they received their VA award, and the remaining 30 percent filed after they received their award. For 27 percent of the disabled veterans in our sample, we did not find evidence of filing DI benefit claims.
SSA records further show that 38 percent of the disabled veterans were already on the DI rolls when they received their 100% or IU ratings. It was not possible to determine whether, or to what extent, SSA’s allowance of a DI application may have affected the subsequent VA rating.
Chart 4 shows, for each study year, the number of VA awards based on ratings of 100% or IU, the number of veterans who were entitled to DI benefits before their VA awards, and the number who filed DI applications after their VA awards. Relative to fiscal year 2000, the first year of the study, VA awards nearly doubled at their study-period peak in fiscal year 2003, then declined thereafter. Part of the spike may reflect new regulations that took effect in July 2001. Those regulations added type 2 diabetes to the list of impairments presumed to be service-connected and caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The number of veterans applying for DI after receiving a VA award of 100% or IU during the study period peaked in fiscal year 2004.
First Di Application After Receiving A Va Rating Of 100% Or Iu
Some disabled veterans who apply for DI benefits and are denied will reapply, in some cases more than once. In this section, we focus on the first DI applications filed by veterans after receiving a VA rating of 100% or IU.
During fiscal years 20002006, disabled veterans with VA ratings of 100% or IU filed 50,461 postaward first applications for DI that resulted in a medical decision . An additional 6,559 cases resulted in technical denials, generally because the applicant lacked sufficient prior earnings to be insured for disability. We exclude technical denials from this analysis and from the calculation of the allowance rates.16
Chart 6 shows the number of postaward first DI applications and their medical decision outcomes, with detail for the 100% and IU ratings. IU-rated veterans accounted for 55 percent of the applications filed by totally disabled veterans . The DI allowance rate for applicants with an IU rating was lower than the allowance rate for applicants rated 100% . Chart 7 shows that the postaward first DI application allowance rates for veterans with VA ratings of 100% and IU were stable across the VA-award cohorts from fiscal year 2000 through fiscal year 2006.
Coordination Between Va And Ssa
VA and SSA are required by law to share the following types of information:10
- Medical evidence and hospital records.
- Disability determinations.
- Benefit receipt and payment amounts.
In processing a DI claim, a DDS requests the medical evidence it deems necessary from service providers. A DDS may request records from a VA regional office or a VA hospital. In 2010, SSA made an estimated 154,000 medical record requests to VA for over 100,000 claimants.
In turn, VA directs its medical-evidence requests to SSA at one of two centralized locations: the National Records Center, for information on claimants older than age 55 and the Operations Megacenter, for records of those aged 55 or younger. VA generally requests records by fax, but SSA has tested and is rolling out a process by which medical evidence is requested by and returned to VA through the Government Secure Online Messaging System.
Generally, both SSA and VA are required to consider the other agency’s disability decision in making their own determinations, although neither agency’s decision is binding on the other.11
SSA provides Social Security number verification, Social Security and SSI benefit status, and limited payment histories to the VA via its Federal Online Query system. VA provides beneficiary data to SSA through a data exchange agreement. SSA and VA use the benefit receipt and payment data as income verification for their respective means-tested programs .
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How To File A Va Disability Claim
About Ryan Guina
Ryan Guina is The Military Wallet’s founder. He is a writer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over six years on active duty in the USAF and is a current member of the Illinois Air National Guard.
Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 after separating from active duty military service and has been writing about financial, small business, and military benefits topics since then. He also writes about personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life.
Ryan uses Personal Capital to track and manage his finances. Personal Capital is a free software program that allows him to track his net worth, balance his investment portfolio, track his income and expenses, and much more. You can open a free Personal Capital account here.
Featured In: Ryan’s writing has been featured in the following publications: Forbes, Military.com, US News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Reserve & National Guard Magazine , Military Influencer Magazine, Cash Money Life, The Military Guide, USAA, Go Banking Rates, and many other publications.
Types Of 100% Va Disability
If you served in the US military and sustained or worsened an injury or medical condition in the line of duty, youre eligible to apply for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs . In many cases, veterans can claim multiple conditions and qualify for up to a 100% VA disability rating, thus earning maximum compensation as well as other valuable benefits which well cover below.
This guide will reveal three common ways you can qualify for a 100% VA disability rating. Before we explore the process of how to earn 100% disability benefits, lets briefly review the factors that the VA uses to assign disability ratings.
You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.WE CAN HELP.
Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call with an experienced Team Member. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service.
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File A Claim For A New Claim For A Secondary Condition Or An Additional Service
Filing a new claim for an increased rating usually occurs when you are outside of the one-year period to file an appeal with VAs decision. Perhaps you received an initial rating decision that was consistent with your level of impairment, but several years later, you have found that your condition has worsened and believe it now warrants a higher rating. VA will require you to file a new claim for an increased rating in which you can submit any new documentation or evidence you have supporting the fact that your service-connected condition has further deteriorated. VA has been unclear in whether you need to submit a supplemental claim or a VA Form 21-526 when filing a new claim for an increased rating. The Regional Offices have accepted both, reflecting an inconsistency in both the processing of claims and their adjudication. Due to the complexities of the AMA system and the ramifications of a new claim versus a supplemental claim, it is advisable to consult with a VA-accredited legal representative to assist you with your filing.
Va Math And Combined Ratings
The VA has its own way of doing math when it comes to determining disability ratings. Things are fairly straightforward when theres only a single rated disability, but if there are two or more, it can get complicated.
We recommend reviewing our easy-to-follow article on VA Combined Ratings to learn more about how that process works. For more on VA math and how your ratings are calculated by the VA, please also see our easy-to-use VA Disability Ratings Calculator.
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The Difference Between 100 And 80 Percent Va Disability Rating
- Veterans that are eligible for an 100% VA Disability rating will get a minimum of $3,332.06 per month from the Veterans Administration.
- The different between 80% and 100% is more than $1,000 per month.
- Many veterans who are receiving an 80 percent VA Disability rating should be receiving an 100 percent VA Disability rating.
How To Increase Your Va Disability Rating
Home » Veterans Benefits Attorney » How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating
If you suffered a disability as a veteran and, over time, your condition has grown worse, you may be able to increase your VA disability rating. If you have filed for an increase in your disability rating and have been denied one of our skilled VA benefits attorneys can evaluate your case.
Recommended Reading: Social Security Disability Benefits Amount
Requirements For Veterans Disability Compensation
To be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation, you must:
- Have served on active duty, active duty for training or inactive duty training and have a current illness or injury that affects your mind or body.
Additionally, at least one of the following situations must be true:
- You got sick or injured while serving in the military and can link this condition to your illness or injury
- You had an illness or injury before you joined the militaryand serving made it worse
- You have a disability related to your active-duty service that didnt appear until after you separated from the military
- You have one of the VAs presumed disabilities:
- Chronic illness that appeared within one year of your discharge
- Illness caused by contact with contaminants or other hazardous materials
- Illness caused by time spent as a prisoner of war
When deciding on a disability claim, the VA considers the above eligibility requirements, as well as how your condition affects your daily life, activities and employability.
How To Increase Va Disability From 90 To 100 Tip #: Get Dbq Forms Completed For Conditions Already Service Connected
How to Increase VA Disability from 90 to 100
Disability Benefit Questionnaire Reviews, also knownas DBQ forms, are the #1 best way to increase yourVA disability rating for conditions that are already service connectedat 0 percent or higher.
What is a VA Disability Benefit Questionnaire ?
A DBQ is a standardized .pdf form created by the Department of Veterans Affairs to give veterans more control of their VA claim.
Obtaininga DBQ from a qualified medical provider enables veterans topresent their VA disability condition, mainly the medical diagnosis by ICD Codeand your current symptoms of your VA disability, to the VSR and RVSR at the VAfor rating purposes.
And guess what else fellow veterans?
The major benefit of using DBQs is that sometimes the VAwill grant a veteran a higher VA rating based upon the information in the DBQALONE!
Yes, you heard me correctly.
For simple disability increases, the VA Raters areauthorized by regulation to grant a VA rating increase using the DBQ by itself,assuming its competent and credible.
Now, its still very likely youll get a C& P Exam, butat least you have your medical information baselined by another medicalprofessional PRIOR to the C& P Exam.
For example, if a veteran is already service connected at 0percent for Migraines, but you now believe your Migraines meet the higherrating criteria by law, all you need to get the higher rating is a DBQ forMigraines completed by a private healthcare provider.
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Reasons For Di Allowances And Denials
Chart 14 shows medical denials of postaward first DI applications for veterans receiving a VA rating of 100% or IU, by reason. We again exclude 6,559 technical denials, or cases denied for nonmedical reasons from our sample. The greatest number of medical denials were for applicants deemed capable of work other than their previous work , followed by step-4 denials and step-2 denials .18 Over one-quarter of the DI denials involved impairments that SSA judged to be nonsevere in cases that VA rated 100% or IU. Among those rated IUindicating that VA found the individual unable to engage in SGE27 percent of those denied DI benefits were found by SSA to have a nonsevere impairment. Furthermore, over 60 percent of the veterans rated IU by VA and denied by SSA were judged to be capable of SGA, providing one measure of the extent to which the two programs’ evaluation criteria indicate their different purposes.
The Va Disability Rating System Explained
The VA uses a disability rating system to assign a percentage to the severity of your disability, using a scale that measures from 0-100% and rises incrementally by 10%. This rating then determines your benefit amount. The VA determines your rating through an internal review of your health and medical history, going over a combination of service treatment records, VA medical records, and private medical records that are directly related to your disability. Your rating will be based on a single diagnostic code per condition, even should that condition meet more than one diagnostic code.
If you have more than one disability, you can use the combined-rating system to find your benefit amount.
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Receive Your Va Disability Check Faster
When you file your disability claim, be sure to give the VA the routing number to your bank so you can enroll in direct deposits. This is faster and more secure and a requirement as of March 1, 2013. I recommend using a high yield savings account so you can earn more money through interest.
Call or visit your regional VA medical center with specific questions related to VA benefits.
What You Witnessed Or Are Currently Witnessing
In part 2,you need to explain in detail what you witnessed or are witnessing about theevent or incident.
You do NOTneed to explain every detail.
Here is anexample of how to write this section:
When Ifirst met , before she entered active duty military service, she washappy, fun loving, and had no mental health issues whatsoever.
All of thatchanged in July 2004, when she was raped by another service member while TDY toLackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
It becamevery evident to me that she suffered from severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
I encouragedher to get help and seek treatment many times over the years, but because shewas an officer, and worked with senior military leaders, she was afraid ofretaliation and reprisal.
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Need A Representative To Help You Go From An 80 Percent Rating To A 100 Percent Rating
Sometimes, veterans need help from an accredited representative to get their 80 percent rating to a total disability, 100 percent, rating. If you find yourself in this situation, assistance is available to you. The experienced team of veterans advocates at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick have helped veterans win their claims for 100 percent benefits and we may be able to help you. Contact our office today for a free case evaluation.
How To Get A Va Disability Rating
A VA claim can be a challenging and confusing process for many veterans. Figuring out how to fully document and develop your claim with the right medical evidence, how to handle your Compensation and Pension exam, and push past denials can be overwhelming. Thats why we provide support and coaching to veterans who want someone experienced to walk them through the process from start to finish.
If youre working your way through the process yourself, you might want to review our post How to File a VA Claim to make sure you cover the bases if youre just getting started.
In short, the VA reviews disability claims to assess whether a veterans medical condition is service-connected or not.
Our in-depth article What is a Service-Connected Disability? A Veterans Guide to Service-Connecting Disability Conditions provides all the information you need to understand this important aspect of your claims.
To win a VA disability compensation claim, you will always need to provide three elements:
- a medical diagnosis or illness or injury,
- a connection between this diagnosis and your active-duty military service ,
- medical evidence of recurring or persistent symptoms
VA uses the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities to assign diagnostic codes and disability ratings for service-connected condition. The criteria for each rating describe symptoms and/or treatments for a specific condition.
The current 2022 disability compensation rates for a veteran without dependents is as follows:
Read Also: What Conditions Are Considered For Disability
Increased Disability Payments For Veterans With Dependents
Veterans entitled to compensation who have a disability rated at 30% or more are entitled to additional compensation for dependents. Dependent children between the ages of 18 and 23 must be attending school and a dependent for tax purposes.
Parents may be considered dependents if the veteran provides more than 50% of their support. Veterans with a disabled spouse may also be eligible for increased benefits. Check with the VA for details.
There is also a Dependency & Indemnity Compensation benefit for survivors of some disabled veterans.
Increasing Your 70% Va Disability Rating
Under certain circumstances, VA may increase your disability rating in light of new evidence that your condition has worsened. If you think your service-connected condition warrants a higher disability rating than the one it is currently assigned, there are two routes you can take depending on which best fits your situation: file an appeal or file a claim for an increased rating.
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How Long Does It Take To Receive Your Disability Benefits
The VA claims process can vary in length from a few months to a year. The October 2021 claims process average was about 145 days.
Once your claim is approved and you receive at least a 10% disability rating, the VA said you should begin receiving benefits within 15 days. You may receive back pay of your disability compensation in your first few checks, depending on the effective date of disability in your VA letter.