MAVTG provides educational information only. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a law firm, a VA-accredited representative, a VSO, or a claims agent. For official guidance, visit VA.gov or speak with an accredited representative.

★ Veterans Benefits Guide ★

VA Disability Benefits
You Earned Them. Claim Them.

An estimated 1.8 million veterans are not receiving the full disability compensation they have earned. The barrier is not eligibility — it is documentation, procedure, and information. This guide is written to close that gap: precise, current, plain-language guidance on filing, ratings, appeals, PACT Act presumptives, mental health claims, and survivor benefits. No VSO fees. No attorney required to use this guide. Everything you need to begin — right here.

Find My Situation → How to File Step-by-Step

$3,737+ Monthly at 100% P&T
(see rate table below for current year)

3.9M Veterans rated 100%

Tax-Free All VA compensation

Free This guide + paperwork help

Start Here

What's Your Situation?

Select what applies to you and jump straight to the information you need. Every situation is covered — from first-time filers to survivors seeking DIC.

📋 First-Time VA Claim Never filed before? Start here with the step-by-step process. ⚖️ My Claim Was Denied Don't accept a denial. You have three appeal lanes. 📈 I Want to Increase My Rating Learn the paths to a higher combined rating or 100%. 🏠 TDIU / Can't Work Individual Unemployability — paid at the 100% rate even below 100%. ☢️ PACT Act / Toxic Exposure Burn pits, Agent Orange, Gulf War, Camp Lejeune — major 2022 expansion. 🧠 Mental Health / PTSD Claim PTSD, MST, anxiety, depression — these are ratable disabilities. 💛 Survivor / Dependent Benefits DIC, Survivor Pension, CHAMPVA, DEA for surviving families. 🏡 VA Home Loan Help Zero down, no PMI, competitive rates — understand your entitlement. 🎓 Education Benefits (GI Bill) Post-9/11, Montgomery, VR&E — which chapter is right for you. 🌏 Gulf War / Burn Pit Gulf War Syndrome and burn pit presumptives under PACT Act 2022. ❓ Plain Language Q&A Simple answers to the most common VA questions — 8th grade level. ✍️ We Do The Paperwork Email us your situation — we prepare your buddy letters, statements, and forms for free. 🔍 Check My Claim Status Filed and waiting? Three ways to track your claim right now. 🌴 Florida Veterans Benefits Property tax exemption, free licenses, veterans' homes, and more — Florida-specific. 💼 Veteran-Owned Business SDVOSB, SBA loans, Boots to Business — turn your service into entrepreneurship. ✅ Check My Eligibility 5-question tool that shows you the benefits most relevant to your situation.

Monthly Compensation Rates

VA Disability Compensation
Rate Schedule — Current Year

Monthly tax-free payments based on your combined disability rating, determined under 38 U.S.C. § 1114 and adjusted annually by Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). Rates increase with verified dependents. The figures below reflect the current payment schedule — verify the exact current-year rates at va.gov/disability/compensation-rates before filing or making financial decisions.

Rating	Veteran Only	+ Spouse	+ Spouse & Child	Notes
10%	~$171	—	—	No dependent add-on below 30%
20%	~$338	—	—	No dependent add-on below 30%
30%	~$524	~$586	~$636	Dependents begin adding value
40%	~$755	~$840	~$903
50%	~$1,075	~$1,183	~$1,260
60%	~$1,362	~$1,493	~$1,583
70%	~$1,716	~$1,870	~$1,973
80%	~$1,995	~$2,171	~$2,287
90%	~$2,241	~$2,439	~$2,568
100%	~$3,737	~$3,946	~$4,078	Full P&T — plus SMC, health, education

Paths to Maximum Compensation

Four Ways to Reach 100%

There is more than one path. Most veterans never knew all four existed. Understanding them is the first step to getting what you earned.

Scheduler 100% — Combined Rating

Your individual ratings are combined using the "whole-person" method (not simply added). Stack multiple service-connected conditions until the combined rating reaches 100%. This is the most common route.

Most Common

TDIU — Individual Unemployability

If your service-connected disabilities prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you can receive compensation at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is only 60–70%. You don't have to prove you're unemployable — just that your disabilities are the reason.

Can't Work

Permanent & Total (P&T) Status

If your disabilities are rated 100% and the VA determines they won't improve, you receive P&T status — protecting your rating from future reduction exams and unlocking additional benefits like commissary access, CHAMPVA for dependents, and property tax exemptions in most states.

Most Valuable Status

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

For veterans with severe service-connected disabilities — loss of limb, blindness, need for regular aid and attendance, or being housebound — SMC can pay well above the standard 100% rate. SMC levels range from L through T.

Above 100%

Free Assistance Service

You Served.
We Do
The Paperwork.

The claims process is not complicated — but it is procedurally precise. Buddy letters and lay statements are treated as evidence under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303, and nexus letters that use the phrase "at least as likely as not" reflect the standard described in Caluza v. Brown. Most veterans submit claims without knowing any of this. We help you organize your evidence and put together templates and frameworks for your buddy letters, personal statement, and doctor's nexus letter. You review everything, confirm accuracy, and submit. Nothing is filed on your behalf without your review and signature, and we always recommend verifying your final submission with an accredited VSO or VA-accredited attorney.

You email us your situation

Tell us what happened, what conditions you have, your current rating (if any), and what you're trying to accomplish.

We help organize your documents

We put together buddy letter templates, a personal statement framework, a nexus letter framework for your doctor, CHAMPVA enrollment, dependent add-on forms — whatever you need.

You review, sign, and send it off

Everything is ready. You just read it over, make sure it's accurate, sign your name, and submit to the VA or give to your doctor/buddy to sign.

Start — Email Us Your Situation →

What We Can Help Prepare — Free

✍️ Personal statement (lay statement)

🤝 Buddy letter template (for your witness to sign)

💑 Spouse / family statement template

🩺 Nexus letter framework for your doctor

📋 CHAMPVA enrollment packet (VA Form 10-10d)

👨‍👩‍👧 Dependent add-on checklist (VA Form 21-686c)

🎓 DEA Chapter 35 / GI Bill transfer guidance

🏠 Property tax exemption application guide by state

Important: We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. We help you organize and prepare your information — you submit it yourself or with your VSO. Always verify your final submission with an accredited VSO or VA-accredited attorney.

Instant Resource Finder

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Relevant VA Resources

Privacy: Your information stays private. MAVTG does not store any information you enter on this page. For official VA matters, always use va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000.

Ready? Let's Get Your Paperwork Started.

The difference between a denied claim and an approved one is almost always documentation — not eligibility. We help you put together lay-statement, nexus-letter, and buddy-letter templates, plus CHAMPVA enrollment packets, so your evidence is organized and complete. You verify the accuracy, sign, and submit. We charge nothing — no contingency fees, ever — and we always recommend confirming your final submission with an accredited VSO or VA-accredited attorney.

Start — Email Us Your Situation → Read the Q&A First

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