I’ll be honest with you; I really hate numbers. I’ve never been great with math, and figuring out percentages for me requires the use of an online tool. On the other hand, the VA must really love 
numbers because every aspect of a disability claim has numbers attached to it in some manner. For instance, you have 365 days to appeal your first decision, or the rating on your knee is determined by a range of motion. The most important number of course is your disability percentage. Most Veterans fresh out of the service, or those who have simply never applied before, aren’t aware that VA disability is assigned on a percentage basis.
When it comes to Social Security an individual either gets it, or they don’t. That is actually quite simple. In the VA however, things are more complex. The VA is not looking to see if you are disabled, but rather if your disabilities are from your time in the service. Further, it’s not as simple as getting disability for your knee that was hurt in the service, or not, they want to know how bad your knee is disabled.
Let’s look at this knee topic a little further. The VA can rate your knee at 0%-30% in increments of 10. Now that 0% confuses a lot of people. Does that mean that it is not service connected? The answer is no. What the VA is saying when they rate you at 0% is that your knee is injured, it came from the service, but it’s not enough to get paid. If they rate you at 10% for your knee, then you will receive $130.34 per month. The amount listed is what the VA will pay for any service connected disability that is rated at 10%.
What if you get rated at 100% for one condition, or even multiple conditions that total 100%? Well, if you have a spouse and a child who are dependents, you will receive $3,134.32 per month. We can see from these two examples that there is a huge difference in the amount the VA will compensate you when you go from 10% to 100%.
There are endless combinations that result in how much you get paid after you reach 30%. After 30%, a Veteran can add dependents. The amount you are paid will differ depending upon your spouse, and how many kids you have. Even parents can be considered dependents. The VA has a more in depth look at these numbers on their website. View the full chart here.
Would it be simpler if the VA had a system for compensation what was either you get it or you don’t absolutely. However, I understand why they have their system in place. These numbers may be confusing, but they aren’t going anywhere. If you would like to know more about disability percentages, or if you would like to know what we can do to help you, give me a call today. 1-877-526-3457. Or, fill out this form, and I’ll give you a call.
