VA Disability Compensation
A higher rating means higher monthly pay — potentially hundreds more per month. Here are the four paths veterans use to get there, and what evidence each one requires.
If your VA disability rating no longer reflects how your condition affects your daily life, you have the right to seek an increase. Moving from 70% to 80% adds roughly $380 per month. Moving from 80% to 100% adds more than $1,800 per month. The difference matters — and the VA will not raise your rating on its own.
There are four main paths to a higher rating. Which one fits your situation depends on whether your condition has worsened, whether you have new evidence, and whether you have conditions connected to your primary disability that haven't been rated.
If a service-connected condition has gotten worse since your last rating decision, you can file a claim for an increased rating. This is the most straightforward path — you're not arguing a new connection, just that the VA's current rating understates your current level of impairment.
What you need: Recent medical records documenting worsening symptoms — from a VA facility or a private provider. The VA will typically schedule a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam to evaluate your current condition. At the exam, describe your worst days accurately, not how you feel on a good day. Understating symptoms at a C&P exam is one of the most common reasons veterans receive lower ratings than they deserve.
File using VA Form 21-526EZ or through VA.gov. There's no deadline to file an increased rating claim — you can file at any time.
If the VA previously denied a claim or rated a condition lower than you believe is accurate, a supplemental claim allows you to submit new and relevant evidence for the VA to reconsider. Under 38 CFR § 3.2501, evidence qualifies as "relevant" if it tends to prove or disprove a material fact — a broad standard that works in veterans' favor.
Examples of qualifying new evidence:
A supplemental claim is generally faster than a full appeal and is the recommended first step when you have new evidence to submit.
A secondary condition is a new disability that was caused or aggravated by an existing service-connected condition. Secondary conditions add to your combined rating — and they're one of the most commonly missed opportunities for veterans to increase their overall compensation.
Common secondary condition examples:
What you need: A nexus letter from a qualified physician explaining how your primary service-connected condition caused or aggravated the secondary condition. The standard the VA applies is "at least as likely as not" — not certainty, just a reasonable medical opinion that the connection exists.
TDIU allows veterans to receive compensation at the 100% rate even if their combined rating is below 100%, if their service-connected disabilities prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The general eligibility threshold: a single disability rated at 60% or higher, or multiple disabilities with a combined rating of 70% or higher (with at least one disability at 40%).
TDIU is particularly valuable for veterans in the 70%–90% range who can't work because of their conditions — because it effectively grants 100% pay without requiring that the rating itself reach 100%.
For supplemental claims and secondary conditions, a nexus letter — a written medical opinion from a licensed physician linking your condition to your service or to a primary service-connected disability — is often the difference between an approved and denied claim. A strong nexus letter documents the physician's review of your service and medical records, states the medical rationale, and uses the "at least as likely as not" standard the VA requires.
Not all nexus letters carry equal weight. Letters from specialists in the relevant field, backed by references to medical literature, are more persuasive than a brief note from a general practitioner.
VSO representatives can help you file claims at no cost and are a good first stop. For complex cases — long-standing denials, significant back-pay at stake, or multiple interrelated conditions — a VA-accredited claims attorney may provide more specialized help. VA regulations cap attorney fees at 20% of past-due benefits under 38 CFR § 14.636, and attorneys work on contingency, so there's no upfront cost.
Before pursuing a rating increase, it helps to understand your complete eligibility profile — which benefits you're already receiving, which ones you may qualify for but haven't filed, and which conditions might support secondary claims. VetGap's free questionnaire surfaces all of this in about three minutes.
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This page provides general information about VA benefits based on publicly available federal regulations and VA guidance. It is not legal advice. Eligibility is determined by the VA based on your specific circumstances. Consult a VA-accredited claims agent, attorney, or VSO representative for guidance on your situation.