Did you wait till you were out to get your disability rating? If so, how long before you made your first claim?

I was bound and determined NOT to get a rating. After all, I was strong, and disability was for those who were truly unable. And then I started into therapy. After therapy came treatment for various health issues, some of which are chronic. Upon advice, I filed for service connected. I was initially told that my PTSD was "cured" after going through therapy. Yes, someone in the VA told me I was cured. Here I am, several years and several diagnosis later, with a rating. And I'm in the process of getting a higher rating. It was explained to me this way: I served overseas, I was injured and exposed to various toxic substances, and now I have to deal with the aftermath. Why wouldn't I file for service connected disability? It took me several years after I separated from service before I filed. I wish I'd done it sooner. I think I'd been out for 3 or 4 years.

I made my first claim 47 years after I got out. I received 10% on my hearing and 152$ a month and new Hearing aids and it basically took me 4 months.

'I waited 53 years. All of my VN brothers kept telling me to go to the VA. I finally did and then to the DAV in SC who helped me immensely. I got a rating of 60% for hearing and PTSD. I was a medic in VN and like most of us we didn't put much in our medical records.

You can now file a VA claim within 6 months before you get out of the service and get your rating as well. Don't wait until you get out! See your local TAP office for information!

I was NEVER told about ratings, claims or assistance it took 25 years to learn that I didn't have to suffer chronic homelessness with PTSD. My beautiful wife and kids (thank the Lord) are tough as nails, they stuck by my side as we starved and went homeless throughout the years. Then a few short years ago I received a call from the leader of the Dept. of Vet Affairs oversight committee apologizing telling me that I should have been rated 100% all those years. He filed for me and 3 days later there it was.

I received a Ten Percent... Did not realize that I should have been fighting for more! The 10% comes out of my retirement pay and I get it through the VA -- Tax Free - O Boy!
The way it was explained to me was that whatever percentage I had at retirement would be deducted from my retirement pay... It did not seem worth the trouble to save a few bucks. I was certainly wrong! Retired in 1982 - things were handled a little poorly during that period of time.

Retirement physical resulting in 18 items identified, eight associated as service connected (they all occurred on duty) and one rated as 10%. 17 years later I am now starting the process to get those items not rated upgraded and adding the other items that appeared after. I did myself no favors by not getting reassessed within that first year. Like many, I was trying to become a civilian and start the new chapter of life. It caught up to me.

I filed my first claim while I was on terminal leave, June 1994. Those two claims were denied. 2016 I filled out a VA questionnaire that at least got me seen by the VA but NOT Service Connected. Filed again, also denied. In 2020 a VA Regional Rep contacted me, told me my file had been incorrectly denied and to resubmit. Which I did. Finally in 2021, VA service connected me with a disability at 50% rating. Oh, and do NOT believe that crap about getting paid back to the date you first filed. I wound up getting a lump-sum payment about equal to 2.5 months of disability pay. On the other hand, when my Son finally got his VA service connected 100% rating, he received a nice cheque of >$100K.

I waited years before I actually made my claim. If you are going to Wait, you better have documentation of in-service treatment, and out of service treatment. I was being stubborn and wish I would have just done it sooner. I missed out on Years of disability pay. It's been rough without the help of the Va. only took 4 months to get my rating once I finally filed the paperwork. anyone who hasn't filed yet What are you waiting for? Get it done so you can get the help you need. The VA is there for Us to utilize. I think I waited around 6-7 years before I did any sort of paperwork.

I waited almost 7 years before I actually made my claim. I started my claim june 2022, and had my Rating by the end of september 2022. You should be able to Claim things As long as you have documentation supporting your claim. I got Injured around March 2015. 2 hip surgeries, and etc done since then. Don't wait Like I did, get it done sooner rather than later. I missed out on 7 years of disability because of being stubborn.