Veterans Disability Compensation
The veterans disability compensation rate is calculated on how disabled you are. The Veterans Administration makes their determinations on the severity of your disability and the evidence you provide to them. This will be based on medical information you provide for them and/or your military records. There may be additional veterans disability compensation for conditions such as loss of limb(s) or on rather you have a spouse and/or dependent children, or parent(s) and if you have a seriously disabled spouse.
Each disability (if you claim more than one) will be rated individually. For example: You may have claimed loss of hearing as one disability. They will put a percentage value on that disability. Let’s say that they consider you loss of hearing to be 40% disabled. In addition you may have claimed the loss of the use of one arm. They may calculate the veterans disability compensation at as 30% disabled. They will also put a percentage on that disability separate and then combined the percentage at a rate determined by Charts provided the VA that can be found at: http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/rates-index.asp#howcalc. You would think that it would make you 70% disabled but that is not how it works. In this particular case if you follow the chart it would be determined that you were 58% percent disabled which would be rounded up to 60%. Therefore you veterans disability compensation would be based at a rate of 60%
There are also different methods of calculating the amount of veterans disability compensation you will receive. It takes into consideration if you are married, have children, or need dependent care by an aid or spouse or even a parent. You can find the amounts of veterans disability compensation by going to:
http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/resources_comp01.asp.
Effective Dates of Veteran’s Disability Compensation
Again, there are different ways of determining your effective date.
Direct Service Connection: The effective date for service connection for a disability may be directly linked to an injury that occurred or was aggravated during military service. The date that is documented, either by medical records or service record would then be your effective date. An exception being, if the claim is filed one year of separation from active duty, the effective date will be the day following the separation.
Presumptive Service-Connection – An effective date for service connection disability is presumed to be related to military service is the date of entitlement. This will be the effective date if the claim is received by the VA one year of release from active duty. If the claim is received after one year of being released from active duty, the effective date will be the date of the claim or the date that the entitlement arose, whichever is later.
For other ways or circumstances of determining the Effective Date go to: http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/effective_dates.asp?expandable=0
Claims that are Reopened – The effective date is the date the claim was received or the date that the entitlement arose, whichever is later.
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