Ratings Guides

VA disability claims & ratings guides

Plain-English, primary-source-cited guides to the ratings math, the claims process, and C&P exams.

C&P Exam: What to Expect at Your VA Claim Exam

A C&P exam informs your disability rating; it is not a pass/fail test. Who schedules it, what examiners look for, and what to do if the exam goes wrong.

TDIU Requirements: VA Individual Unemployability Explained

TDIU pays at the 100% rate when service-connected disabilities prevent gainful employment. Schedular thresholds, the bilateral factor angle, and how to apply.

38 CFR §4.26 Bilateral Factor: The Official Text, Explained

How the VA bilateral factor under 38 CFR §4.26 adds 10% to combined bilateral ratings for both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles.

How the VA Calculates Combined Disability Ratings

The VA uses a whole-person efficiency formula, not simple addition, to combine multiple disability ratings. Here is how the math works and why it matters.

Higher-Level Review (HLR) vs. Supplemental Claim: Which to File

HLR uses the same record; supplemental requires new evidence. Deadlines, forms, duty to assist, and what to do if you lose each lane explained.

VA Disability Back Pay: How It Works

VA back pay is months of retroactive compensation from your effective date. How effective dates are set, how the amount is determined, and how reviews affect it.

VA Claim Denied: What to Do Next

Read the decision letter, find the failure mode, then pick the right AMA lane. A plain walkthrough of supplemental claims, HLR, and Board appeals.

VA Disability Claim Process: Timeline and Steps

The VA processes disability claims through 8 steps. What happens at each stage, how long it takes, and what your decision letter's rating math means.

Why Your VA Rating Is Not Adding Up

A 60% and 50% rating should equal 110%—except the VA doesn't add them. Here is the math behind combined ratings and why the result always feels too low.