Many veterans receive only a portion of the VA disability compensation they’re entitled to. Some veterans accept initial ratings without understanding they could file for rating increases. Other veterans fail to file claims for secondary conditions that would increase their combined rating and monthly compensation. Still others don’t realize they qualify for Special Monthly Compensation or other additional benefits beyond their standard disability payment. This final comprehensive article explains how veterans can maximize VA disability benefits, ensure they’re receiving all compensation entitled to them, and plan strategically to increase benefits over time.
Audit Your Current Disability Status
The first step for any veteran to maximize disability benefits is to audit their current disability status. Veterans should review:
Current Disability Rating: Do you know your exact combined disability rating? Many veterans aren’t certain of their precise rating. Review your VA disability rating letter to confirm your rating percentage.
Individual Disability Ratings: Beyond your combined rating, what are your individual ratings for each service-connected condition? Understanding your individual ratings helps you identify which conditions to prioritize for rating increase claims.
Service-Connected Conditions: Have you filed claims for all your service-connected conditions? Many veterans overlook conditions they could claim, leaving benefits on the table.
Secondary Conditions: Are you claiming all secondary conditions? A condition secondary to one of your primary disabilities qualifies for a separate rating, increasing your combined rating.
Special Monthly Compensation: Do you qualify for SMC for Aid and Attendance, Housebound status, or other SMC categories? Many veterans with severe disabilities qualify for SMC without knowing it.
Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to verify your combined rating and understand your current compensation. The calculator helps veterans confirm whether their ratings are correct and shows where additional compensation might be available.
File Claims for Secondary Conditions
One of the most effective ways veterans can increase disability compensation is by filing claims for secondary conditions. A secondary condition is a disability caused or aggravated by an existing service-connected disability.
Examples of secondary conditions include:
- Depression secondary to chronic pain from a back injury
- Sleep apnea secondary to traumatic brain injury
- Anxiety secondary to PTSD
- Headaches secondary to neck injury
- Hearing loss secondary to tinnitus
Many veterans don’t realize they have secondary conditions qualifying for disability ratings. Review your service-connected conditions and consider whether any have caused other medical problems. Work with your VA healthcare providers to document these secondary connections.
Filing for secondary conditions doesn’t require proving direct service connection—you only need to show your primary condition causes or aggravates the secondary condition. Many veterans successfully increase their combined ratings substantially through secondary condition claims.
File for Rating Increases When Conditions Worsen
If your service-connected conditions have worsened since your initial rating decision, file for rating increases. Many veterans receive initial ratings and never request increases even as their conditions deteriorate with age.
Key times to file for rating increases include:
- When imaging studies show disease progression
- When you require increased medication or treatment intensity
- When your functional limitations have increased
- When you’ve developed complications of your condition
- When you can no longer perform occupational tasks you previously could manage
Filing for a rating increase costs nothing and your effective date is typically your filing date, providing back pay from filing through approval. Don’t delay—file when you have sufficient evidence of worsening.
Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to model how rating increases would affect your combined rating and monthly compensation as a veteran.
Investigate Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
Special Monthly Compensation provides substantial additional payments to veterans with severe disabilities. Many veterans don’t realize they qualify for SMC.
Investigate SMC if you:
- Require another person to help with daily activities (Aid and Attendance)
- Are confined to your home due to disability (Housebound)
- Have lost use of both legs, both arms, or similar bilateral losses
- Are blind and deaf
- Have other severe disabilities causing extraordinary hardship
Filing for SMC involves submitting VA Form 21-2680 with medical evidence of your severe disabilities. Many veterans successfully obtain SMC that wasn’t identified during initial claims. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to estimate potential SMC benefits for your situation.
Review Presumptive Conditions
The VA regularly expands presumptive conditions—conditions the VA presumes are service-connected for certain veteran groups. If your claim was previously denied for a condition that became presumptive after your denial, you may have grounds to file a new claim.
Regularly check the VA website for new presumptive condition announcements. Recent expansions include:
- Burn pit-related conditions (PACT Act)
- Agent Orange-related conditions
- Gulf War illness conditions
- Camp Lejeune water contamination conditions
- Radiation exposure conditions
If your previous claim was denied and that condition is now presumptive, file a new claim under the updated presumptive rules. The new claim gets a new effective date and you may receive back pay from the filing date forward.
Ensure All Dependents Are Reported
A critical way veterans can increase monthly compensation is ensuring all dependents are properly reported to the VA. Each dependent (spouse, child) increases your monthly payment. Many veterans don’t report dependents, resulting in underpayment.
Dependents include:
- Your lawfully married spouse
- Children under age 18 (or under 23 if in school full-time)
- Unmarried stepchildren under certain conditions
- In some cases, parents who depend on you for support
Report dependents to the VA immediately—your dependent payment increases effective when you report the dependent. Delaying costs you money. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to see how adding dependents increases your monthly compensation.
Work With a VA Representative
Many veterans maximize benefits more effectively by working with VA-accredited representatives, Veterans Service Organizations, or attorneys. These professionals:
- Identify secondary conditions you might overlook
- Present medical evidence most effectively
- Understand VA regulations and rating criteria
- Prepare you thoroughly for C&P exams
- Handle appeals efficiently
- Work at no cost (if using accredited representatives or VSOs)
A good representative can substantially increase your disability compensation by identifying claims you wouldn’t file independently and presenting your evidence persuasively.
Gather Comprehensive Medical Evidence
The strength of your disability claims depends on the quality of your medical evidence. Maximize your benefits by gathering comprehensive documentation:
- Complete medical records from VA and private providers
- Diagnostic imaging (X-rays, MRI, CT scans) showing your conditions
- Lab results and clinical findings
- Statements from healthcare providers confirming your diagnoses
- Military medical records from service
- Personal statements describing how conditions affect your functioning
- Occupational or family statements about functional impact
The more comprehensive your medical evidence, the stronger your claims and the higher your ratings.
Maintain Consistent VA Healthcare
Veterans who maintain regular VA healthcare create stronger documentation supporting disability claims and rating increases. VA medical records documenting your ongoing symptoms and functional limitations support higher ratings.
Additionally, VA providers understand what evidence supports disability ratings. They can document functional limitations specifically in language the VA uses when rating conditions, strengthening your claims.
Plan Rating Increase Strategy
Rather than filing random rating increase claims, develop a strategic plan. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to model which rating increases would most significantly increase your combined rating and monthly compensation.
For example, if you have a 40% back rating and a 30% PTSD rating (combined to 58%), increasing your back rating to 50% might increase your combined rating to 64% (rounding to 60-70%). Strategic rating increases give you the best return on effort.
Understand Individual Unemployability (IU)
If your service-connected disabilities prevent you from working even though your combined rating is below 100%, you may qualify for Individual Unemployability. IU provides 100% disability compensation based on occupational inability.
Qualify for IU if you have a 60% or higher rating, OR multiple conditions totaling 70% or higher, AND cannot maintain substantial gainful employment. Many veterans qualify for IU without realizing it. If you cannot work due to service-connected disabilities, investigate IU eligibility.
Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/ to see your current combined rating and determine whether IU might apply to your situation.
Monitor VA Announcements
The VA regularly announces changes to disability programs, new presumptive conditions, and benefit expansions. Subscribe to VA announcements or regularly check the VA website for updates.
Recent major changes include the PACT Act expansion for burn pit exposure, expanded Agent Orange presumptive conditions, and new presumptive conditions for various veteran groups. Benefits you couldn’t claim previously might now be available.
Address Undiagnosed Conditions
Some veterans have conditions they haven’t had formally diagnosed. Request VA healthcare evaluations for symptoms you experience but haven’t had evaluated by a VA provider. Formal diagnosis is necessary for disability claims—the VA needs medical documentation confirming your condition.
If you experience symptoms that might indicate a service-connected disability, seek VA evaluation and diagnosis. Once diagnosed, file a disability claim.
Consider CHAMPVA for Family Healthcare
If you have a 100% P&T rating or your service-connected disability is permanently disabling, your family members may qualify for CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA). CHAMPVA provides healthcare coverage for your spouse and children, potentially saving them thousands in healthcare costs.
Understand what CHAMPVA covers and whether your family qualifies. This is a significant benefit many veterans’ families don’t utilize.
Appeal Previous Denials
If you have previous disability claims that were denied, consider appealing. Appeals success rates are often higher than initial claim approval rates, particularly if you:
- Submit additional medical evidence unavailable during initial claim
- Work with a representative more experienced than when you initially filed
- Benefit from new presumptive conditions added after your denial
- Have developed complications of your condition since the denial
Don’t accept old denials as final—many veterans successfully overturn denials through persistent appeals.
Conclusion
Maximizing VA disability benefits requires active engagement with the VA system and strategic planning. Many veterans receive only a fraction of the compensation they’re entitled to simply by not filing secondary condition claims, not requesting rating increases as conditions worsen, or failing to investigate special compensation programs. Start by auditing your current disability status using our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/. Identify gaps in your claims. File for secondary conditions. Request rating increases when conditions worsen. Investigate SMC eligibility. Report all dependents. Work with representatives to strengthen your claims. Monitor VA announcements for new presumptive conditions and benefit expansions. Your service-connected disabilities deserve comprehensive recognition and maximum compensation. Take active steps to ensure you’re receiving all the disability benefits you’ve earned through your military service. The VA disability system offers substantial benefits to veterans who understand how to navigate it effectively and pursue all claims they qualify for.
