How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating

Under 38 CFR 3.160, a claim for increase is a request for a higher disability evaluation based on a change or worsening in condition since the last VA decision. This is distinct from an original claim or a supplemental claim — it specifically addresses service-connected conditions that have gotten worse.

You should consider filing a claim for increase when:

• Your condition has worsened since VA last rated it
• You have new symptoms or limitations that your current rating does not reflect
• Your condition now meets criteria for a higher evaluation under the rating schedule
• You have medical evidence documenting the worsening

38 CFR 3.160

Claims for increase are filed using VA Form 21-526EZ ("Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits"). Four filing methods are available:

1. Online at VA.gov — Sign in to prefill parts of the application and save work in progress. File at va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim.
2. By mail — Print and complete the form, then mail to: Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.
3. In person — Bring the completed application to a VA Regional Office.
4. With professional help — Work with an accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO representative.

If you need to submit medical records from a non-VA provider, you will also need VA Form 21-4142 (Authorization to Disclose Information) to allow VA to obtain those records.

VA.gov: How to file a VA disability claim

For a claim for increased evaluation, you need current medical evidence showing your disability has gotten worse. Key evidence types:

• Current medical records — Submit copies of relevant private medical treatment records showing worsened severity. VA medical records in the VA system are automatically considered.
• Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) — Standardized forms that collect the specific medical findings VA raters need. You can have a private provider complete a condition-specific DBQ and submit it with your claim. Public DBQs are available at benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_publicdbqs.asp. VA will not reimburse costs for DBQs completed by private providers.
• Buddy/lay statements — Written testimony from you, family, friends, or others describing how your condition has worsened and how it affects daily life and work. Use VA Form 21-10210 (Lay/Witness Statement).
• VA treatment records — If you receive care at VA, those records are in the system, but ensure recent visits documenting your current severity are on file before filing.

If you have sufficient medical evidence already in your file, VA may follow the Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) process and review records without ordering a new C&P exam.

VA.gov: Evidence needed for your disability claim

Disability Benefits Questionnaires are the single most useful tool for increase claims. Each DBQ is condition-specific (knee, back, PTSD, etc.) and asks the provider to record exactly the findings VA raters need — range of motion measurements, functional limitations, flare-up descriptions, and diagnostic criteria.

Strategy for Increase Claims

1. Download the DBQ for your specific condition from VA's public DBQ list
2. Have your treating provider (who knows your history) complete it during or after a thorough examination
3. The DBQ should reflect your condition at its worst, including during flare-ups — ask your provider to note flare-up frequency, duration, and additional functional loss
4. Submit the completed DBQ with your VA Form 21-526EZ

VA Public DBQs: benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_publicdbqs.asp

Two regulatory provisions allow temporary total (100%) ratings for service-connected conditions:

38 CFR 4.29 — Hospitalization Rating

A total disability rating (100%) will be assigned when a service-connected disability requires hospital treatment in a VA or approved hospital for a period in excess of 21 days. Per 38 CFR 4.29:

• Effective the first day of continuous hospitalization
• Terminates effective the last day of the month of hospital discharge (or release to non-bed care)
• An authorized absence exceeding 14 days, or a third consecutive 14-day authorized absence, is treated as equivalent to hospital discharge

38 CFR 4.30 — Convalescent Rating

A total disability rating (100%) will be assigned when hospital discharge or outpatient release establishes entitlement based on one of the following, per 38 CFR 4.30:

1. Surgery necessitating at least one month of convalescence
2. Surgery with severe postoperative residuals (incompletely healed surgical wounds, stumps of recent amputations, therapeutic immobilization, application of a body cast, house confinement, or continued use of wheelchair or crutches)
3. Immobilization by cast of one or more major joints without surgery

The 100% rating is effective from the date of hospital admission or outpatient treatment, continuing for 1, 2, or 3 months from the first day of the month following discharge or outpatient release. Extensions of 1 or 3 months beyond the initial period may be granted, up to a maximum of 6 months total.

38 CFR 4.29, 38 CFR 4.30

Under 38 CFR 3.310, a disability that is proximately due to, or aggravated by, a service-connected disease or injury shall be service connected. This creates two paths:

• Causation — A service-connected condition caused a new condition (e.g., service-connected knee injury causes hip problems from altered gait).
• Aggravation — A service-connected condition made a pre-existing non-service-connected condition worse beyond its natural progression. VA compensates only the degree of worsening attributable to the service-connected condition, not the baseline severity.

What You Need for a Secondary Claim

• A medical nexus opinion connecting the secondary condition to your service-connected condition
• Evidence of the current secondary condition (diagnosis)
• Evidence showing the relationship (medical records, provider statements)

Secondary claims are filed on the same VA Form 21-526EZ. Common secondary connections include:

Note: These are commonly cited secondary connections. The specific nexus depends on individual medical evidence — these are illustrative examples, not guaranteed approvals.

38 CFR 3.310

Under 38 CFR 3.400(o)(2), the effective date for a claim for increase can go back up to one year before the date VA received the claim — if the evidence shows the increase in disability was "factually ascertainable" within that one-year period.

Practical example: If your condition worsened 6 months before you filed and medical evidence from that time documents the worsening, VA can assign the higher rating effective from 6 months before your claim date. But if the worsening happened more than one year before filing, you lose that earlier effective date.

38 CFR 3.400(o)(2), 38 USC 5110

Under 38 CFR 3.105(e), when a reduction in evaluation would result in a reduction of compensation payments:

• VA must notify the veteran of the proposed reduction
• The veteran has 60 days to present evidence showing payments should continue at the current level
• The veteran has the right to request a predetermination hearing
• If the reduction proceeds, it is effective the last day of the month in which the 60-day notice period expires

Protections Against Reduction

• Burden on VA: VA cannot reduce a rating unless improvement is shown — the burden is on VA to prove improvement, not on the veteran to prove non-improvement.
• 5-year rule (38 CFR 3.344(a)): Ratings in effect for 5 years or more have additional protections. Sustained improvement must be shown across the full body of evidence.
• 20-year rule (38 CFR 3.951(b)): Ratings continuously in effect for 20 years or more cannot be reduced except upon a showing of fraud.

38 CFR 3.105(e), 38 CFR 3.344(a), 38 CFR 3.951(b)

1. Filing without current medical evidence — VA needs documentation of your current severity, not just your last rating exam. Get recent treatment records or a DBQ before filing.
2. Not using DBQs — A condition-specific DBQ captures exactly what VA raters look for. Without one, you rely entirely on the C&P exam, which may not fully document your limitations.
3. Describing "good days" at the C&P exam — The C&P examiner needs to understand your condition at its worst. Be honest about your worst days, flare-ups, and functional limitations. See our C&P Exam guide for preparation tips.
4. Ignoring secondary conditions — Many veterans miss opportunities to claim conditions caused or worsened by their service-connected disabilities. Every new secondary condition adds to your combined rating.
5. Not filing an Intent to File immediately — Waiting to file means losing months of potential back pay if the increase is granted.
6. Missing the C&P exam — Under 38 CFR 3.655, if you miss the exam on a claim for increase, the claim is denied. If you cannot attend, contact VA immediately to reschedule.
7. Not considering the reduction risk — Before filing, understand that VA may examine all your conditions, not just the one you want increased. If other conditions have improved, those ratings may be proposed for reduction.

Key Regulations

Helpful Links

• VA.gov: How to file a disability claim
• VA.gov: Evidence needed for your disability claim
• VA Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs)

Forms for This Topic

The official VA forms relevant to this page, in one place. Select a form to view, download, or add it to your report.

• VA Form 21-0966 — Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DICUse VA Form 21-0966 if you’re still gathering information to support your claim, and want to start the filing process.
• VA Form 21-526EZ — Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation BenefitsUse VA Form 21-526EZ when you want to apply for VA disability compensation (pay) and related benefits.
• VA Form 21-4142 — Authorization to Disclose Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Use VA Form 21-4142 to give us permission to obtain your personal information from a non-VA source like a private doctor or hospital.
• VA Form 21-10210 — Lay/Witness StatementUse VA Form 21-10210 to submit a formal statement to support your VA claim—or the claim of another Veteran or eligible family member.