How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating
Strategies for getting the rating your conditions actually warrant
A VA disability rating is not permanent in the sense that it can never change. If a service-connected condition gets worse, or it causes a new problem, or you have a condition you never claimed, you may qualify for a higher combined rating and more compensation. The key is understanding which path fits your situation and bringing the right evidence. This guide walks through the main routes to an increase, what the VA looks for, and the one risk most veterans overlook.
File a Claim for Increase When a Condition Worsens
If a condition the VA already rated has gotten measurably worse, you can file a "claim for increase." You are not asking the VA to reconnect the disability; service connection is already established. You are asking it to look at your current severity and assign a higher percentage under the rating schedule.
The decision turns on how your current symptoms map to the rating criteria for that condition. Each diagnostic code has tiers, and each tier lists specific findings, such as range of motion in degrees, frequency of flare-ups, or measured loss of function. Your job is to show that today's symptoms reach the next tier up.
- Get a current exam or treatment record close to the date you file.
- Document frequency and severity, not just a diagnosis.
- Tie your symptoms to the exact language in the rating criteria.
Secondary Conditions: One Disability That Causes Another
A "secondary" condition is a new problem caused or aggravated by a condition the VA already recognizes as service-connected. You do not have to prove the secondary condition itself started in service, only that your existing service-connected disability led to it. This is one of the most effective and most underused ways to raise a combined rating.
Common, well-recognized secondary chains include:
- A knee or ankle injury altering your gait, leading to hip or back problems.
- A mental health condition such as PTSD contributing to sleep disturbance or, in some cases, sleep apnea.
- Diabetes contributing to peripheral neuropathy or related complications.
- Chronic pain or a service-connected condition contributing to depression or anxiety.
The evidence that wins a secondary claim is usually a medical nexus opinion, a statement from a provider explaining that it is "at least as likely as not" that your service-connected condition caused or aggravated the new one. That phrase matters because it matches the VA's standard of proof.
New Claims for Conditions You Never Filed
Some veterans leave money on the table simply because they never claimed a condition. You can file a new claim for a disability that began in service, was caused by service, or has surfaced or worsened since discharge, even years later.
- Conditions that developed gradually and were not obvious at separation.
- Conditions tied to a documented in-service event or exposure.
- Conditions you assumed were "just aging" but trace back to service.
A new claim needs the standard three elements: a current diagnosis, an in-service event or exposure, and a medical link between the two.
Understand How Combined Ratings Actually Add Up
VA ratings do not add by simple arithmetic. The VA uses "combined ratings math," which works on remaining, non-disabled efficiency, so two 50% conditions do not equal 100%. This is why a new secondary or increased rating sometimes moves your combined total less than you expect, and sometimes more, depending on where you start.
Example: Suppose you are rated 50% for one condition. The VA treats you as 50% efficient. If you add a second condition rated 30%, the VA applies that 30% to the remaining 50%, which is 15%, for a combined raw value of 65%. After rounding to the nearest 10%, that becomes a 70% combined rating, not 80%. Adding a small condition on top of a high rating may not change your payment at all if it rounds down. Run your own numbers with our VA Combined Rating Calculator before you assume an increase will raise your check.
TDIU: Getting Paid at 100% Without a 100% Rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) lets the VA pay you at the 100% rate when service-connected conditions prevent you from holding substantially gainful employment, even if your combined schedular rating is below 100%.
The schedular path to TDIU generally requires:
- One service-connected condition rated at least 60%, or
- A combined rating of at least 70% with at least one condition rated 40% or higher.
Veterans who do not meet those thresholds can still be considered on an extra-schedular basis. The heart of a TDIU claim is evidence about work: employment history, why you cannot sustain gainful work, and how your conditions specifically interfere.
Evidence Is What Wins, Not Adjectives
The most common reason an increase is denied is thin evidence. The VA decides on what is in the file, so build it deliberately.
- Current medical records dated close to your claim, showing severity in the language the rating criteria use.
- A nexus opinion for secondary or new claims, using the "at least as likely as not" standard.
- Lay (buddy) statements from family, coworkers, or fellow service members describing what they have observed.
- Your own statement describing flare-ups, bad days, and functional limits, because symptoms that come and go are easy to miss in a single exam.
The Real Risk: A Re-evaluation Can Lower a Rating
Filing for an increase invites the VA to re-examine the condition, and an examiner can conclude it has improved. For most conditions that you have held for a long time, ratings become harder to reduce over time, and ratings continuously in place for 20 years generally cannot be reduced below their established level except for fraud. But newer or non-permanent ratings can be lowered if the evidence shows improvement.
This does not mean you should avoid filing when you genuinely qualify. It means you should file when your evidence supports the higher level, not on a hunch. If your condition is stable rather than worse, an increase claim may simply trigger a re-eval with no upside. Weigh it honestly, and consider talking to an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) before filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can filing for an increase lower my current rating?
Yes, it is possible. Filing reopens the condition for review, and an examiner can find improvement. Long-held and protected ratings are much harder to reduce, but newer ratings can drop if evidence shows the condition got better.
How long do I have to file a secondary claim?
There is no deadline tied to your discharge date. You can file a secondary or new claim years later, as long as you can show the current condition and the medical link to your service-connected disability.
Why did my combined rating barely change after I added a condition?
VA combined ratings use a formula based on remaining efficiency and then round to the nearest 10%. A smaller condition added to a high rating can round away entirely. Modeling it in the combined-rating calculator shows what will actually move.
Do I need a lawyer or VSO to file for an increase?
No, you can file yourself. That said, an accredited VSO is free and can help you frame evidence and avoid an unnecessary re-evaluation. Attorneys and agents typically come in for appeals.
Where to Verify Live Figures
Compensation amounts, rating criteria, and program rules change. Confirm current details before you act:
- VA disability ratings, compensation rates, and claim filing: VA.gov
- Model your combined rating: VA Combined Rating Calculator
- Pay, BAH, and BAS questions: DFAS.mil
This article is educational only and is not official guidance. Rules, rates, and rating criteria change. Verify your specific situation with VA.gov, an accredited Veterans Service Officer, or your finance office before acting.