VA Disability Claim Basics
An educational overview of service connection, current disability, and supporting evidence.
Open guide →Disability Resources
VA Disability
Practical educational resources covering va disability with clear organization guidance and links to supporting resources.
Use these resources as an organized starting point
VA disability claims are evidence-based and issue-specific. Each claimed condition should be connected to the correct legal theory and supporting record.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and accredited representatives are the controlling sources for current procedures and individualized guidance.
Guides in this section
Direct Service Connection
How current disability, an in-service event, and a medical link are commonly organized.
Open guide →Secondary Service Connection
How one service-connected condition may cause or aggravate another condition.
Open guide →Aggravation and Worsening
How to organize evidence showing that a condition became worse beyond its usual course.
Open guide →Understanding VA Disability Ratings
How rating criteria describe occupational and functional severity.
Open guide →VA Effective Dates
Why filing dates, intent-to-file dates, and procedural history should be carefully documented.
Open guide →Compensation and Pension Examinations
How to prepare truthful, complete information for a VA examination.
Open guide →Disability Benefits Questionnaires
What DBQs are and how they organize diagnosis, symptoms, testing, and functional impact.
Open guide →Nexus Evidence Overview
What medical nexus evidence generally addresses and why reasoning matters.
Open guide →VA Claim Decision Letters
How to read the issues, evidence, favorable findings, reasons, and appeal options in a decision.
Open guide →VA Combined Ratings
Why combined ratings do not use simple addition and how the whole-person method works.
Open guide →Keeping a VA Claim Timeline
A structured way to track filings, examinations, evidence, decisions, and review deadlines.
Open guide →Related resource centers
Southern Hub Disability Resource Center · Research and Resources · Veteran Resources
Additional In-Depth Guides
Understanding Direct Service Connection
A practical educational guide to understanding direct service connection, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding Secondary Service Connection
A practical educational guide to understanding secondary service connection, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How VA Evaluates Increased Rating Claims
A practical educational guide to how va evaluates increased rating claims, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →The Role of Lay Evidence in VA Claims
A practical educational guide to the role of lay evidence in va claims, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding VA Effective Dates
A practical educational guide to understanding va effective dates, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How VA Reviews Medical Examinations
A practical educational guide to how va reviews medical examinations, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Preparing for a VA Compensation Examination
A practical educational guide to preparing for a va compensation examination, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding Presumptive Service Connection
A practical educational guide to understanding presumptive service connection, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How VA Evaluates Functional Loss
A practical educational guide to how va evaluates functional loss, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding Combined VA Ratings
A practical educational guide to understanding combined va ratings, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →What to Review in a VA Rating Decision
A practical educational guide to what to review in a va rating decision, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How to Organize Evidence for a New Claim
A practical educational guide to how to organize evidence for a new claim, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding Individual Unemployability Basics
A practical educational guide to understanding individual unemployability basics, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How Buddy Statements Can Support a Claim
A practical educational guide to how buddy statements can support a claim, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →The Difference Between Symptoms and Diagnoses
A practical educational guide to the difference between symptoms and diagnoses, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How Treatment Gaps May Be Explained
A practical educational guide to how treatment gaps may be explained, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Understanding VA Duty to Assist
A practical educational guide to understanding va duty to assist, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →How to Track VA Claim Development
A practical educational guide to how to track va claim development, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →Preparing a Clear VA Personal Statement
A practical educational guide to preparing a clear va personal statement, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →A Veteran Guide to Evidence Consistency
A practical educational guide to a veteran guide to evidence consistency, with clear documentation steps, review points, and organization strategies.
Read guide →