You served your country. Now, you’ve developed a health condition or have a pre-existing condition that worsened as a result of your military service. It’s time for your country to take care of you. This post explains 20% VA disability, which the VA considers “moderate.”
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Below, we discuss what a 20% rating means, what benefits are available for veterans with a 20% rating, and the steps you can take if you disagree with your current rating.
In this article about 20% VA disability benefits:
What is VA disability?
VA ratings determine what benefits a veteran with service-connected disabilities is eligible to receive. To receive a VA disability rating, veterans must submit an application for benefits for a condition that was caused or worsened due to their service. From there, the VA will review the application as well as any supporting evidence and will assign the appropriate rating to each disability granted.
The VA assesses this information and issues a VA rating between 0% and 100% for each condition the veteran is service-connected for. The majority of veterans receive VA disability for more than one health issue tied to their military service. When a veteran has more than one service-connected condition, the VA assigns a rating for each service-connected condition.
Your combined VA disability rating will determine the amount of money you receive each month.
20% VA disability benefits
In addition to monthly monetary compensation, a 20% VA rating gives veterans access to other benefits.
These include:
- Free health care
- Prescription medications at VA copay rates
- Travel allowance for VA medical appointments
- Home loan assistance
- Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E)
- Burial and plot allowance
- Federal hiring preference
How much is a 20% VA rating worth?
Currently, a 20% VA rating is $346.95 per month. VA payments typically increase if you have a spouse, dependent children, or dependent parents. However, you won’t receive additional compensation for dependents with a 20% rating. Only combined ratings of 30% or higher pay extra for dependents.
How to increase a 20% VA rating
If you believe you qualify for a higher rating from the VA, it’s worthwhile to try to increase it. The difference in monthly payments and additional benefits is significant even when increasing by an increment of only 10%.
Veterans can increase their VA disability ratings from 20% to 30% or higher by adding additional service-connected conditions, applying for TDIU, or seeking an increased rating for a condition.
Seek a higher rating or appeal
If you disagree with your rating, you have the option to seek a higher rating. Your rating decision letter should explain why you received a specific rating and the evidence the VA used to draw that conclusion.
If you receive a 20% rating and think you deserve a higher rating, you can look into the various methods for appealing. Appeals must be submitted within one year of a rating decision. However, you can also seek a higher rating at any time after that deadline using VA form 21-526EZ.
Apply for additional service-connected conditions
While veterans sometimes include all their service-connected health conditions in an initial claim, many may not realize a secondary health problem can be tied to their military service.
Additionally, as veterans deal with service-connected conditions, other, new health issues may develop as a result. These are referred to as secondary conditions, and they are also eligible for disability compensation.
To add a condition to your claim, you must submit evidence proving the condition is connected to your service or another service-connected disability.
“They made me feel like I was important and that my claim was important. With the VA process as complicated and time-consuming as it is, Woods & Woods was there for me every step of the way. I thank them very much for their hard work and compassion. I could have never done this on my own.”
D.W., Navy veteran from South Carolina
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Apply for TDIU
Finally, veterans who are unable to work because of service connected conditions may want to seek total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
It’s important to note that 20% VA disability doesn’t qualify a veteran for TDIU. However, if you successfully increase your rating for a condition or claim other service-connected conditions, you could become eligible, allowing you to continue increasing your monthly compensation.
You can apply for TDIU if you can’t work because of a service-related mental or physical medical condition or multiple service-connected conditions. TDIU allows veterans to be paid at the 100% rate without meeting the criteria for a 100% VA disability rating.
To qualify, you typically must have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at least 60% OR
- A combined rating of two or more service-connected disabilities at 70% or more, including at least one disability rated at 40% or more.
How Woods & Woods can help
Our team of VA-accredited attorneys, legal analysts, case managers, and intake specialists help veterans nationwide get the benefits they deserve. If you’re tired of appealing one VA decision after another, call us today for a free case evaluation.
Don’t fight the VA alone
Frequently asked questions
A 20% VA rating is $346.95 per month. This number does not change regardless of whether a veteran has a spouse or dependents. The VA reviews disability amounts annually.
You can increase a 20% VA disability rating in several ways, including seeking a higher rating if you think yours is too low or adding service-connected conditions to increase your overall rating. If you can successfully increase your rating, you could also become eligible for TDIU, which has the potential to increase your monthly benefits all the way to the 100% payment level.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
