Did you know that about 7 out of 100 veterans have PTSD? It’s a condition that affects more people than you might think it does. In fact, PTSD can be so severe that it impacts your ability to function.
If you’re one of the many veterans affected by PTSD, you may qualify for disability benefits. To discover if you qualify, however, you need to get a PTSD VA disability rating.
If you’ve never heard of that, don’t worry- we’ll tell you everything you need to know. All you need to do is keep reading.
What Is a PTSD VA Disability Rating?
VA ratings are a tool that was put into place with the intent of helping veterans. Ratings play a crucial role in determining the amount of healthcare and compensation you might get as a veteran.
VA ratings are meant to be an objective measure of how severe a veteran’s service-related disability is. These disabilities are ones such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
VA ratings are written down as percentages from zero to one hundred. They come in increments of ten.
The higher your disability rating is, the more severe your disability is. The more severe your disability is, the more benefits you will receive as a disabled veteran.
These benefits are meant to help counteract how your disability affects your daily life. It offers financial support and access to medical treatment to help veterans cope with the lasting effects of what you went through.
How Is a PTSD VA Disability Rating Calculated?
VA Ratings are determined based on the results of a thorough examination process. This evaluation takes interviews with the veteran, medical records, and service records into account. This is to assess the severity of your PTSD symptoms and their effect on your ability to function.
It may be tempting to downplay your symptoms- the urge to protect yourself from any type of vulnerability is strong. But downplaying your symptoms might lead to not getting the kind of benefits you deserve.
It’s best to be honest about what you go through when you’re interviewed. The frequency, intensity, and duration of your symptoms are a key factor when considering what benefits you qualify for.
During this process, your medical history will be examined to take previous conditions and diagnoses into account. You may need to undergo psychological testing.
In addition, your family or friends may be interviewed. This is to get multiple points of view on how your condition affects your life.
Will You Get Disability Benefits?
Although you might get disability benefits, the amount you get greatly varies. Even if you get one hundred percent coverage, you may not receive as much as someone else with one-hundred percent coverage does.
This is because the VA will look at how many people are in your home. If you live alone, you won’t receive as much money. This is because you’re the only one you need to take care of.
If you are married or have children, however, you may see the amount increase. The same may be said if you have elderly parents who depend on your care.
It’s important to keep in mind that the percentage may not equal the exact amount you think it will. Ultimately, you won’t know how much money you’re receiving until you’re awarded it.
However, as long as you receive a disability rating higher than zero percent, you can expect some form of compensation.
How to Get a VA Disability Rating
In order to get a VA Disability Rating, you’ll have to file a disability claim with Veteran’s Affairs. This is a process that involves quite a bit of preparation.
First, you need to make sure you’re eligible to qualify for disability. You don’t want to spend all that time filling out forms if you won’t be able to get the support you need in the end.
Once you’re certain you qualify, fill out your claim completely. Gather any evidence that you might have and submit it along with your claim. This makes your claim more solid and rounded-out, though it isn’t required.
Once your claim has been filed, you may be contacted to schedule a claim interview. This is where you’ll go over all your supporting documents and provide more detail to determine if you can qualify for disability.
Finally, if they determine you qualify, you’ll go through the disability rating process to see what you can get.
Tips to Help Your Disability Claim
The most important thing you should know is that you need to file your claim in a timely manner. Filing for help as soon as you notice your disability will ensure that the benefits are there when you need them.
Remember not to downplay how it affects you, even though you might be tempted to. You might feel like your disability isn’t as bad as a different veteran’s. This is simply not true- if you need help, you deserve to receive it.
The next best advice we can give you is to be as thorough as possible in your disability benefits questionnaire. Leave nothing out during the filing or the interviewing process, even if it seems irrelevant to you. The smallest details can make or break your disability claim.
Finally, we recommend that you do as much research as possible before you file your disability claim. You want to have a thorough understanding of the application process. This way, you won’t face any confusion when you’re trying to get the help you need.
Reach Out to Us Today
Now that we’ve filled you in, are you ready to get a PTSD VA disability rating? Or do you still have more questions or concerns?
Regardless of what your answer is, you should reach out to us. We want to help veterans like you get all the help you deserve.
So don’t wait- fill out this form today. We’ll reach out to you as soon as possible to provide you with answers and resources. This may be the best choice you can make for yourself right now.