The VA Disability ProcessUnderstand and learn to navigate the VA Disability Process

When a service member who is separating from the military or a veteran has a service-connected medical condition, they can begin the VA Disability Process. If the service member is being separated from the military because of his medical condition, then the VA Disability Process begins automatically as part of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System. If, however, a service member is not separated for medical reasons or is already separated, he can begin the VA Disability Process by submitting a VA Disability Claim.

The goal of the VA Disability Process is to determine (1) if a Disabled Veteran’s conditions qualify for VA Disability and (2) the exact amount of VA Disability Benefits they will receive for the qualifying conditions. For a condition to qualify during the VA Disability Process, it must be service-connected.




The C&P Exam

After a VA Disability Claim is submitted, the VA Disability Process begins with the C&P Exam. At this point in the VA Disability Process, a physician examines the veteran and records the exact nature of his conditions.

The results of the C&P Exam are then passed on to the next step in the VA Disability Process, the Rating Decision.

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The Rating Decision

The second step in the VA Disability Process is the Rating Decision.

All the evidence submitted with the claim at the beginning of the VA Disability Process and the results of the C&P Exam are passed on to one of the VA’s Rating Authorities. These are individual caseworkers whose job it is to (1) assign a VA Disability Rating to each of the veteran’s conditions using the laws of the VASRD, (2) determine the veteran’s Total Combined VA Disability Rating, and (3) decide if the veteran qualifies for any additional benefits, like Special Monthly Compensation.

The Total Combined VA Disability Rating is used to determine the exact amount of VA Disability Benefits the veteran will receive at the end of the VA Disability Process. Our VA Disability Chart outlines all the current monetary compensation amounts for each rating.

Once the caseworker makes a Rating Decision on the case, the VA Disability Process ends.

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After the VA Disability Process

Once the VA Disability Process ends, the veteran will begin receiving his VA Disability Benefits.

VA Disability can be adjusted over time as the veteran’s conditions worsen or improve. All the veteran needs to do to have his ratings updated is contact his local VA office to schedule an exam to have his conditions re-evaluated.

After the VA Disability Process is over, if the veteran does not agree with the Rating Decision, he can submit an appeal to have his case reviewed by a higher authority.

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Preparing for the VA Disability Process

To ensure that your VA Disability Process goes smoothly and that your VA Disability is correctly determined, it is vital that you carefully prepare.

The number one most important thing to do to prepare for the VA Disability Process is to carefully gather all the essential evidence to support your case. The Rating Decision is made solely on the evidence that is submitted at the start of the VA Disability Process and on the results of the C&P Exam.

Gather the following documents to submit along with your VA Disability Claim:


- Complete medical evidence of your conditions, including all military and civilian medical records. Not every medical record you have needs to be submitted, but you definitely need to submit the ones that prove that your condition is service-connected and that provide the information necessary to rate your condition. You can Find Your Condition on our site to find out what information is needed to rate the condition.
- Commander’s Statements and other supporting evidence. A commander’s statement should be submitted by your commander to the MEB at the start of your DoD Disability Process. This letter should contain valuable evidence about how your conditions affected your ability to do your job, and can be valuable in the VA Disability Process as well.
- The official documents from the Medical Evaluation Board and the Physical Evaluation Board. The VA needs to know the outcome of your DoD Disability case, if you had one. If not, don’t worry about this.
- Your Discharge Orders, DD Form 214. You must be officially separated from the military before you can receive VA Disability, and if you start the VA Disability Process within 1 year of your separation date, you qualify for VA Disability Back Pay.

Never submit the original of any of these documents! Only submit COPIES! These documents are the backbone of your disability case, and you need to make sure you always have them at your fingertips.

If you properly prepare for your VA Disability Process, you will have done all you can to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible.