There are different kinds of veterans disability claims. The VA disability calculator is based on conditions that already existed when the person entered the military and were made worse during their time of service, disabilities that happened while in the service and disabilities that came to the surface after you left military service. There are also various claims for special circumstances. Let’s take a closer look at veterans disability ratings and how the veterans disability claims system works.
Claims Before Discharge
If you are within 180 days of retirement from active duty or even from working full time for the Nation Guard, you are allowed to file a claim for compensation due to disability. It is best to file your claim before you leave the service because the processing times will probably be a lot shorter than if you submitted after you were discharged.
Disabilities Before Service Claims
If a person had a disability before entering the service, they could still join the military. If the disability get worse because of being in military service then the VA might be willing to pay compensation to the person. However, the VA can only pay for the aggravated about. For example, if someone joined the military with a condition that made them 10% disabled but when they left the service it had increased to 20%, then the VA would offer compensation for that extra 10% that was made worse.
Disabilities While in Service Claims
Veterans disability claims while in the service can include any type of injury that happened or disease that was contracted while in active service. If the veteran has engaged in alcohol or drug abuse and injured themselves or got a disease due to this, even if they were in the service at the time, the VA will exclude that and they will receive no compensation. Claiming that the dependence was due to post traumatic stress disorder to result in an extensive investigation in order to find out whether or not that claim is true.
Disabilities After Service Claims
If a veteran does not have a disability rise up until he has been discharged, but the condition is considered to be because he or she was in the service, the veteran can put in a claim for compensation. There are several classes of disabilities depending on the location where the veteran was, the circumstance they were in or the military service they offered. The military disability calculator is often used to help figure out after service claims.
Special Circumstances Claims
The last type of veterans disability claims are claims that are made based on special circumstances. This is basically anything that does not fit in the above categories. It also includes anything that the veteran or the surviving family of he veteran want to make claims for. If the veteran is needing regular attendance or care because of a surgery that was done due to a military connected disability, then that would be a good example of a special circumstance.
Now, if you think that you may qualify for one of these types of claims, then you need to apply for VA disability benefits. There are several ways to do that, it just depends on the type of benefits that you are looking for. Here are the basic ways to do that.
- You can go online and sign up for an eBenefits account. You need to upload all the evidence that you have to support your claim. If you have to gather your evidence, you should go ahead and start your application, save it, get your evidence and then finish the application.
- You can mail in a claim form to a VA office that is near you. You will need to submit all records in the same package.
- You could go in person to a VA office that is nearby and ask an employee to help you and simply bring all of your paperwork with you.
- You have the option to work with an agent or representative as long as they are accredited. They will be able to let you know what kind of paperwork and records you’ll be needing to help your cause.
