If you’re a veteran with a 50% VA rating, you may be hoping to increase your monthly disability. There are three ways a veteran can attempt to get a higher rating and gain access to more benefits and higher monthly compensation.
To increase a 50% VA rating, veterans can seek a higher rating, add secondary conditions to their claim, or request individual unemployability benefits.
In this article, we discuss 50% VA disability rating benefits and methods for increasing your overall VA rating, also known as combined rating.
Don’t fight the VA alone
In this article about 50% VA ratings:
What is a VA disability rating?
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. To combine the ratings, the VA uses its own unique formula, often called “VA math.”
Your combined VA disability rating will determine the amount of money you receive each month.
50% VA rating benefits
Currently, veterans with a combined 50% VA disability rating receive a monthly tax-free payment of $1,132.90. If the veteran is married or has dependents, the amount of compensation increases.
In addition to monetary compensation, a 50% VA rating gives veterans access to other benefits including health care, home loans, VR&E benefits, and burial allowances, among others.
Downloadable
VA Benefits Matrix
Want to know what other VA benefits you may be eligible for based on your VA disability rating?
Click the image to download or print your own copy of our VA benefits matrix here.
How to increase a 50% VA rating
If you believe your service-connected disability should be rated higher than 50%, there are ways to increase your rating. Even though attempting to increase your rating can be a long process, the added benefits that come with a higher rating could make it well worth your time.
Seek a higher rating
First, if you disagree with your current 50% rating, you can file an appeal within one year of a decision. There are three ways to appeal a VA decision in the modernized system:
- Higher-Level Review (HLR) – When veterans do not have any additional evidence to submit but believe the VA made an error on their claim decision, they may choose to pursue an HLR.
- Supplemental Claim – If you disagree with a VA decision and want to file an appeal with new and relevant evidence, you may file a supplemental claim.
- Board Appeal – A BVA appeal allows you to request that a Veterans Law Judge review your claim. A judge who specializes in veterans law will review your case.
If you miss your window for appealing a decision, don’t worry, you haven’t lost your chance to increase your rating. Veterans also have the option to request an increased rating using form 526EZ, the same form used for applying for VA disability.
If you believe your disability warrants a higher rating or it has worsened since you initially filed, you may consider appealing for an increased rating using any of the above appeal options.
Add secondary conditions to your claim
On average, veterans receive VA disability for more than six service-connected conditions each.
While veterans can, and often do, include multiple conditions in an initial claim, many may not realize a secondary health problem can be tied to their military service. As veterans age, their service-connected disabilities may also cause them to develop new health issues that were not around when they applied for disability. Veterans can file claims for secondary conditions to increase their combined rating and receive additional benefits.
To add a secondary condition to your claim, you must submit evidence proving the condition is connected to another service-connected disability.
Apply for TDIU
The third way to increase a 50% VA rating is to apply for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
TDIU is a benefit for veterans whose disabilities are not considered 100% disabling under the VA’s rating criteria, but prevent them from seeking or maintaining gainful employment. TDIU pays the same monthly compensation as a 100% rating. This is ideal for veterans whose disability causes frequent absences from work, makes it difficult to sit or stand for long periods of time, or prevents them from concentrating on daily tasks.
While you cannot receive schedular TDIU for a single condition rated at 50%, if you have other service-connected conditions, you may be eligible for the benefit. Though it is rare, you could also be eligible for extraschedular TDIU. Watch our video above to learn more about TDIU and how you could qualify.
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
From a Google review for Woods & Woods
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.
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Frequently asked questions
If you believe your service-connected disability should be rated higher than 50%, there are ways to increase your rating. To increase a 50% VA rating, veterans can seek a higher rating for any of their conditions, add secondary conditions to their claim, or apply for TDIU benefits.
If a veteran disagrees with the rating of any of their conditions, they can appeal the decision within one year. To appeal a ratings decision, veterans can file a supplemental claim, file an HLR, or appeal to the BVA. If they miss their window for appealing a decision, they can use form 526EZ at any time to request increased benefits.
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.
