VA Compensation: Who is eligible?

If you believe the internet, or what the guy sitting across from you at your appointment at the VAMC said—which is what he heard from some guy who was sitting next to him at his last appointment—then the answer to the questions Who is eligible for VA compensation? and How do you get it? is No one, and You don’t.

I read comments like these every week on the VBA Facebook page. There are two thoughts I take away from these sentiments: some people commenting on Facebook would rather be cynics than attempt to help others; and some people are really, honestly hurting and need help with their VA compensation claims.

This blog is addressed to those who need help, don’t understand, or who’re trying to help others.

First, though, let’s bust those myths.

VA is still compiling FY16 data, but in FY15, VA paid more money to compensate more Veterans—with more claimed medical conditions rated at higher average percentages—than ever before. As you can see, someone’s getting paid, and that someone is (as of FY15) 4.56 million someones—and those someones are Veterans who took home $4 billion dollars in FY15 for their service-connected disabilities.

So, who are these people getting approved, and how do they do it?

If you read my last blog, you’ll remember that, since VA disability compensation is taxpayer money, there’s a legal process to claim that money. This means that VA disability compensation is guarded by the laws that your elected lawmakers wrote.

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