If you’ve been approved for disability benefits from the VA, the agency will assign a disability rating that specifies the seriousness of your condition. You can be given a rating of 0 to 100 percent. This percentage is associated with a certain monetary amount you’ll receive for your disability. To receive VA benefits, you don’t have to be completely disabled. However, your condition must have a 10 percent rating or higher to receive financial compensation.
There may come a time after you’ve been receiving VA benefits that your disability begins to worsen and you may want to ask the VA for a rating increase. The process for making this request isn’t difficult. However, it’s possible that after making a change request the VA will actually lower your disability rating. If you’re awarded a higher disability rating, it may seem logical that you will receive a larger monthly check from the VA. But the process doesn’t always work that way. It’s possible that a small increase added to your rating will have little impact on the amount of your compensation. The VA uses complicated formulas and combined ratings tables to set your rating and your compensation.
Bear in mind that at any time, the VA can re-examine your claim and the agency can reduce or terminate your benefits under some specific circumstances. Most often the VA won’t do this until you appear for a re-examination. When you request an increase in your VA disability rating, you are in effect opening up your claim for re-evaluation.
If your service-connected disability has worsened and you want to request a rating increase, contact us at Cuddigan Law. We can help you with your request to ensure you get the fairest possible rating. Call us to schedule a free evaluation to discuss your specific situation.
