Eligibility for VA disability benefits
Review VA disability benefits eligibility criteria to find out if you can get disability compensation for an illness or injury that was caused by—or got worse because of—your active military service. Compensation may include financial support and other benefits like health care.
The PACT Act expands benefit access for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances
The PACT Act is a new law that expands access to VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they've earned and deserve.
Am I eligible for VA disability compensation?
You may be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation if you meet both of these requirements.
Both of these must be true:
- You have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your mind or body, and
- You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training
And at least one of these must be true:
- You got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim), or
- You had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or
- You have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a postservice disability claim)
Presumed disabilities
- A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within one year after discharge, or
- An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
- An illness caused by your time spent as a prisoner of war (POW)
Who’s covered?
- Veterans
- Qualified dependents
What should I do if I received an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge?
If you’ve received one of these discharge statuses, you may not be eligible for VA disability benefits.
There are 2 ways you can try to qualify:
Find out how to apply for a discharge upgrade
Learn about the VA Character of Discharge review process
What conditions are covered by these benefits?
You may be able to get VA disability benefits for conditions such as:
- Chronic (long-lasting) back pain resulting in a current diagnosed back disability
- Breathing problems resulting from a current lung condition or lung disease
- Severe hearing loss
- Scar tissue
- Loss of range of motion (problems moving your body)
- Ulcers
- Cancers caused by contact with toxic chemicals or other dangers
You may also be able to get VA disability benefits for:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety
Get more information about conditions that may be covered
Get more information
Go to our Compensation 101 videos to learn more about how VA disability compensation works:
Compensation 101: What is disability compensation? (YouTube)
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How VA assigns disability ratings
Learn how we assign severity ratings and how they affect your disability payments.
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Disabilities that appear within one year after discharge
If you have signs of an illness that started within a year after you were discharged from active service, find out if you can get disability benefits.