Familiarize Yourself With The Dic Application Form
Next, go over the DIC application form with your spouse. These forms are found online on the VA website, and your local VA office can also help you find them. These forms are commonly referred to as DIC application, but you might also hear them as Form 21-534.;
After the passing of a military spouse, a VA Casualty Assistance Officer might complete this form for you. Your spouse can also complete the form online. Familiarizing yourself and your spouse with these forms helps them stay prepared in case of an unexpected death. You might wish to keep copies of this form with your will or in a safe place at home.
Is A 10% Va Disability Rating Worth It
For most veterans, the answer is yes. Everyone can use a steady stream of tax-free money. This not only provides a hedge against job loss, medical bills, or other unexpected life events but can help you plan for retirement. If the disability is permanent, like tinnitus, you could receive these payments for the rest of your life.
Moreover, a VA disability claim rated at 10% provides a stepping stone to greater benefits if your medical issues worsen or you develop new medical issues as a result of the disability. Once the VA approves a claim, simple inertia can keep the VA moving forward in approving additional or related benefits.
Finally, the derivative benefits the VA provides above and beyond the disability payments are often just as valuable as the cash. Free healthcare and prescription drugs to treat the disability, plus a preference for federal hiring and reduced closing costs for VA home loans can give you a secure job, health insurance, and a home.
Predicting whether you can obtain a 10% VA disability rating is difficult and will depend on the nature of the disability and the strength of the evidence. Contact a VA lawyer to discuss your VA disability benefits claim regardless of where you are currently located and whether you were deployed.
Who Should I Contact If I Have Questions About My Disability Rating
There are many organizations that specialize in helping veterans with their benefits and claims.
The first place to start is with the VA. They will have access to your records and other information. This is the best source for current and up to date information.
However, the VA isnt always the best place to get assistance with your claim, especially if you are filing an appeal after the VA denied your claim.
In that instance, I recommend;contacting a veterans benefits counselor at your county VA office, or an organization such as the DAV, AMVETS, VFW, American Legion, or similar Veteran Service Organizations.
These organizations have trained benefits counselors who should be able to review your personal and medical situation and provide a better answer to your question than I can provide.
Alternatively, if you prefer to use the anonymity of the Internet, you can use the Physical Evaluation Board Forum, which offers an excellent community that offers advice on VA disabilities, ratings, and the military medical board process.
Please note that while I have a solid understanding of how the VA disability system works, I am unable to answer specific questions regarding ones VA disability claims or specific medical conditions. These questions should be addressed by the VA, your medical professionals, or a veterans benefits counselor.
Thank you for understanding, and thank you for your service!
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Calculating Multiple Va Disability Ratings
Multiple disability ratings are a little tricky to calculate and are beyond the scope of this article. But well give a brief overview. In short, the VA uses a special method for calculating multiple disabilities.
Here is a simplified example:
Example: If you have a 30% disability rating, the VA would multiply that against;100%, which is assumed to be good health. This gives you 30%. Subtract that from 100% which leaves you with 70% . Then;subtract 70%;from 100% and you are left with 30%. If that is your only disability, then your final VA Service-Connected Disability Rating is 30%.
If you have multiple ratings, you continue with the process, using your final number each time as your starting point. Continuing with our example, if your next rating is 10%, you would multiply 10% against 70%, which is 7%. You subtract that from 70%, which leaves you with 63%. Subtract 63% from 100% and you get 37%. Your disability rating is 37%, which rounds up to 40%.
It can get complicated quickly, so I have an in-depth article and podcast that explain how the VA calculates combined disability ratings. I highly recommend reading and/or listening to get a good idea of how the process works!
How To Obtain A 10% Va Disability Rating
Veterans must file a VA disability claim to obtain a rating. The claim describes the nature of the veterans disability and usually includes evidence to support the claim in the form of the veterans service records and medical records both during and after service.
The VA reviews the claim and assigns a disability rating based on the type and severity of symptoms that accompany the disability. More symptoms that occur more frequently or with greater severity usually result in higher ratings.
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What Happens To Benefits If Your Spouse Remarries
Dealing with the loss of a partner is never easy. After grieving, many partners are finally ready to remarry. What happens to these VA benefits if your spouse chooses to remarry after your death?
In general, DIC benefits no longer apply after remarriage. Benefits are no longer given to these partners unless the remarriage ended in divorce, death, or annulment. These benefits also continue if the spouse remarried on or after reaching the age of 57.;
When in doubt, contact the VA office. Your local office is the only one who looks at your specific situation to determine what options are available. In the case of remarriage, benefits usually dont continue except in the few instances outlined above.;
How Can Veterans Reach The 60 Percent Rating For Tdiu Benefits
Importantly, if a veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, there are five ways they can be combined to reach the qualifying 60 percent disability rating.; Under 38 CFR § 4.16, the following circumstances can be combined and considered as one disability for the purposes of TDIU:
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What Is The Benefit Of Qualifying For Tdiu
The main benefit of qualifying for TDIU is getting paid at a 100% VA rating level.; There is a substantial difference between what you will draw for a VA rating of 90% and a VA rating of 100%.
For example, a veteran alone in 2017 would draw almost $1,800 a month with a 90% rating but would draw almost $3,000 a month with a 100% rating.; So, there is a difference of approximately $1,200 per month.; This means that a veteran with a 100% rating will receive over $14,000 a year more than a veteran with a 90% rating.
If the veteran has dependents , then the benefit numbers are a little different depending on the number and type of dependents.; But, veterans with a 100% rating still receive around $1,200 a month more than similar veterans with a 90% rating.
Pay Attention To The Deadline
There are deadlines for your spouse to receive these benefits. Your spouse should apply for these benefits as soon as possible after your passing. They have until a year after your death to apply. If they apply within a year, benefits are paid retroactively from the date of the veterans death.;
That being said, if your spouse doesnt apply within a year, its unlikely your spouse is eligible for any missed compensation. Instead, the start date is whenever the VA grants the application.;
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How Can You Get 100% Disability Rating
Once an eligible;veteran is granted service-connection for a disability due to the veterans service, the next logical question is, How much money will I receive? The amount of compensation benefits a veteran receives depends on the disability rating that the VA assigns.
Disability ratings range from 10% to 100%. The idea behind these ratings is that the veteran should be compensated according to the impairment that the disability would cause to the average persons ability to earn a living. This compensation generally comes as monthly payments.
It can be tricky to earn a 100% disability rating when a veteran has more than one disability. Combining two or more disabilities is a complicated process in which 50% plus 50% does not equal 100% but, rather, 75%. In fact, the closer a veteran gets to a 100% disability rating, the harder it seems to be to obtain one. For example, once a veteran is rated 80% disabled, each additional 10% disability only adds 2% to his total rating rather than an additional 10%.
Meeting the criteria for a 100% VA rating on the ratings schedule, or combining multiple disabilities to obtain a 100% rating, can be very difficult. Failure to meet those criteria, however, does not mean that a veteran is not totally disabled. For this reason, the VA regulations provide for an alternate route to a total;disability ratingindividual unemployability.
About Va Disability Ratings And Va Disability Compensation
If you were injured or became seriously ill while serving in the military, you may be eligible for certain veterans benefits, including VA disability compensation. This benefit is paid to certain military veterans based on illnesses or injuries received while serving on active duty.
Certain veterans may also be eligible for VA health care benefits. To see current VA disability rates, scroll down to the bottom of the article. Keep reading to learn more about VA disability rates, applying for disability compensation, and other facts.
There are many factors that go into determining compensation eligibility and levels, most of which are outside the scope of this article. Treat this article as a primer for VA disability benefits as we show you the VAs definition of a service-connected disability, where to apply for benefits, and the current VA disability compensation rate tables, as provided by the VA.
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What Your Va Disability Rating Means
The VA distributes benefits on a sliding scale based on your level of disability. The more disabling your medical condition, the more money youll receive in compensation.
The VA uses the disability rating system to put a number on what it perceives as your level of disability. The rating schedule runs from 0 to 100 percent in increments of 10. A 100 percent rating is the top of the schedule, indicating total disability. With this rating, youre eligible for the maximum VA schedular benefit, which, as of 2019, is slightly over $3,000 per month.
When you submit your application for review, the person who decides to approve your appeal also assigns you a disability rating. The more compelling the supporting documentation in your file, the better chance you have of receiving a higher rating.
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Special Circumstances For Va Disability Compensation
These types of claims do not always occur during active duty. In some instances, a disability can be determined to be related to an event that happened during military service. Some examples include surgery related to a disability that occurred during service, or additional compensation that is needed due to additional aid or attendance. Special VA disability compensation programs include an individuals unemployability, an allowance for a vehicle, clothing allowance, pre-stabilization, hospitalization, dental, and birth defects.
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With Dependents Including Children
Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. Then look for your disability rating in the top row. Your monthly basic rate is where your dependent status and disability rating meet.
If you have more than one child or your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits,;be sure to also look at the;Added amounts;table,;and add these to your amount from the Basic rates table.
| Dependent status | 30% disability rating | 40% disability rating | 50% disability rating | 60% disability rating | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent status | Veteran with 1 child only | 30% disability rating | 476.35 | 40% disability rating | 681.77 | 50% disability rating | 963.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,216.39 |
| With 1 child and spouse | 30% disability rating | 532.35 | 40% disability rating | 756.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,056.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,328.39 | |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 574.35 | 40% disability rating | 812.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,126.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,412.39 | |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 616.35 | 40% disability rating | 868.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,196.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,496.39 | |
| With 1 child and 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 518.35 | 40% disability rating | 737.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,033.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,300.39 | |
| With 1 child and 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 560.35 | 40% disability rating | 793.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,103.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,384.39 |
What Disabilities Qualify For A 60% Rating
If you are a disabled veteran who is not able to maintain and obtain gainful employment, then you should look into whether your disability qualifies for a 60% rating either on its own or when combined with another condition.
Here are some common injuries that veterans suffer that qualify for a 60% rating:
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Disability Compensation Rate Table For 2020
Disability Percent
|
$18,320 |
$92.32 |
Not only has and will the number of veterans receiving Compensation increase over this period of 11 years while at the same time the population of veterans will decrease but the average yearly amount will increase faster than the CPI.; Over these 11 years, the benefit will increase by an average of 4.3% per year while the average CPI inflation rate is estimated at 2% per year.
These increases are primarily due to aging veterans on claim getting more disabled, an increase in special monthly Compensation benefits, a higher percentage of Gulf War veterans making claims as well as Vietnam veterans who are getting older and making agent orange claims and finally an increasing number of hearing loss claims.
About Va Disability Compensation
VA disability pay is a monthly tax-free monetary benefit paid to veterans as a result of their service-connected disability and is intended to compensate veterans for loss of quality of life and civilian employability. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities that occurred during service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service. Generally, the degrees of disability are designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses.
VA disability rate increases are determined by Cost-of-Living-Adjustments . To calculate the VA disability rate increase the average of the COLA indices of July, August, and September 2020 was compared with the 2019 3rd quarter average. See our COLA increase watch for more information on how 2021 VA disability rates will be determined.
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How Many Veterans Receive Disability Compensation
- Total number of Wake County veterans who received Disability Compensation: 9,680
- Number of veterans who had a zero to 20 percent disability rating: 2,840
- Number of veterans who had a 30 to 40 percent disability rating: 1,849
- Number of veterans who had a 50 to 60 percent disability rating: 1,571
- Number of veterans who had a 70 to 90 percent disability rating: 2,420
- Number of veterans who had a 100 percent disability rating: 1,180
- Approximate ratio of male to female Veteran Disability recipients: 8.9 to 1.3
- Recipients under age 35: 1,443
- Recipients ages 34 to 44: 1,690
- Recipients ages 45 to 54: 2,144
- Recipients ages 55 to 64: 1,830
- Recipients ages 65 to 74: 2,217
Veterans Guardian Can Help Answer That Question
The VA disability process can be a difficult, elaborate, and confusing process that requires in depth knowledge and expertise to navigate successfully. Many veterans are either unaware of the benefits they are eligible for, unwilling to engage the process due to its complexity, or frustrated with previous efforts with the VA.Veterans Guardian provides the expertise, knowledge and resources to bridge these gaps.
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