Guide series
The VA Disability Claim Process: Complete Guide Series
Plain-English guides to the VA disability claim process itself: how a claim moves step by step, what a C&P exam is, how long decisions take, supplemental claims and decision reviews, how ratings are assigned, and what evidence the VA needs.
Overview
Start here: the va claim process basics.
Most VA disability content is organized by condition. But many questions veterans have are about the process itself: what happens after a claim is filed, what the VA claim exam is for, how long a decision takes, and what the options are when a decision comes back wrong.
Every guide in this series is built strictly from the VA's own published guidance at VA.gov and the federal regulations in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Each article links to the exact source it relies on.
These guides are educational. They explain what the VA's rules say - they are not legal or claims advice, and they are not a substitute for an accredited representative, who can advise you about your specific claim.
The VA Disability Claim Process, Step by Step
How a VA disability claim moves from filing to decision, according to the VA's own published process: filing, evidence gathering, the claim exam, rating, and the decision letter - with every step linked to its VA source.
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8 min readWhat Is a C&P Exam? What the VA Says to Expect
What a VA Compensation and Pension exam is, who performs it, what happens at the appointment, and what it is not - explained strictly from the VA's own claim exam guidance.
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6 min readHow Long After a C&P Exam Will the VA Decide?
What happens between your C&P exam and the VA's decision, and how to follow your claim status - explained from the VA's published claim process pages.
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7 min readVA Supplemental Claims: New Evidence After a Denial
How a VA Supplemental Claim works: the new and relevant evidence requirement, what counts, filing deadlines and effective dates - from the VA's own Supplemental Claim page.
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8 min readYour Three VA Decision Review Options, Explained
The VA's three decision review options compared: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board Appeal - what each is for, what each cannot do, and the one-year effective date rule.
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7 min readHow the VA Assigns Disability Ratings
How VA disability percentages work: the rating schedule, 0 to 100 percent in 10-point steps, and how multiple ratings combine under 38 CFR 4.25 - from the VA's own ratings guidance.
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8 min readWhat Evidence Does the VA Need for a Disability Claim?
The evidence elements of a VA disability claim: current diagnosis, in-service event, and the link between them - plus what the VA's duty to assist covers under 38 CFR 3.159 and what it does not.
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7 min readSecondary Service Connection, Explained
How secondary service connection works under 38 CFR 3.310: a condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability, the evidence required, and common examples - from the regulation itself.
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6 min readHow to Request a VA Rating Increase
How the VA's increased rating process works: filing a new claim for increase, the evidence that shows worsening, and what happens to your existing rating - from the VA's own filing guidance.
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7 min readWhere Medical Evidence Fits in a VA Claim
How the VA weighs medical evidence: treatment records, C&P exam reports, and independent medical opinions - and why the nexus element is the one most often missing, per the VA's own evidence rules.
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6 min readThe VA Benefit of the Doubt Rule, Explained
How the VA's benefit of the doubt rule works under 38 U.S.C. 5107(b) and 38 CFR 3.102: when evidence is in approximate balance, the veteran gets the benefit - from the statute and regulations themselves.
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7 min readVA Decision Deferred for a Medical Opinion: What It Means
What it means when the VA defers a decision on one or more of your conditions to get a medical opinion - why deferrals happen, what the VA does next, and what the regulations say, with every source linked.
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7 min readCombat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC), Explained
What Combat-Related Special Compensation is, who qualifies, how it differs from Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay, and how it interacts with VA disability compensation - from the statute and official sources.
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7 min readToxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA): What the VA Means by It
What a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity is, where the VA uses the term, how the PACT Act changed toxic exposure claims, and where medical evidence fits - from VA.gov and the federal regulations.
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Guides on The VA Claim Process
You have taken the first step - keep going.
You now know more about the va claim process than most veterans filing a claim. When you are ready to see what your records support, phone discussions are always free.