Claim Resources for Veterans
Use an interactive calculator, check a claim question, or download a standalone worksheet. For guides and worksheets grouped by book, visit Free Toolkits.
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Evidence & filing
Buddy Statement PackThree versions of the same buddy statement: weak, strong and harmful. Includes a two-page fillable handout your witness can complete, sign and hand back...
Check It YourselfHow to use AI tools on a VA claim without putting a made-up citation or detail in your file.
The Reason UnderneathA tie goes to the veteran, and an opinion with no reasoning weighs nothing. Explains benefit of the doubt and includes a page to hand your doctor about...
Exams & ratings
Five Ten TwentyFive, ten and twenty years each protect something different. Explains rating reduction protections, the 30-day hearing and 60-day evidence windows, with a...
Two Week RecordFor a mental health C&P exam. Shows how a good morning can hide a hard year, and gives a two-week symptom log to fill in before the exam.
VA Math WorksheetWhy 50, 30 and 20 make 70, not 100. Walks through VA's combined ratings math, the bilateral factor and rounding mistakes, then gives a fillable worksheet...
Work History RecordTDIU is a different door, not a rating you climb to. Explains the percentage rules, marginal employment and the Census threshold, then gives a fillable...
Specific conditions
Flare LogYour back is measured on one day. This log puts your bad days into the file. Covers the spine flexion bands and the painful-on-use rule, with a fillable...
Hearing RecordYou are the worst witness to your own hearing loss. Explains the Maryland CNC exam rule and the single tinnitus rating, and includes a two-week log for...
Night RecordSleep apnea hides behind PTSD, and the 50 percent level turns on the word requires. Explains the four documents that matter and includes a night log for...
ProstratingMigraine ratings never ask how much it hurts. They ask about prostrating attacks and how often they average.
Which DoorPTSD stressor proof has five routes, and four of them let your own account count. Sorts which route fits you and gives a fillable statement worksheet with...
Family & survivors
Not All FiveAid and Attendance does not require failing all five factors. Explains the real helplessness test, factor five on safety and the housebound routes, with a...
The Year That Does Not MoveAccrued benefits must be claimed within one year of the death, and that deadline does not stretch.
Two More QuestionsA death certificate answers only one DIC question. Explains contributory cause and the ten-year total rating route, with a fillable record worksheet for...
Benefits beyond disability pay
Ownership Is the Easy HalfSDVOSB certification: 51 percent ownership is easy, control is where applications fail.
Thirty and SixtyVA's access standards: 30 minutes and 20 days, 60 minutes and 28 days. Covers the six community care routes and emergency care clocks, with a fillable...
Two ClocksA VA debt letter starts two clocks: thirty days to keep the money and one year to ask for a waiver.
Special situations
Calculators, checks, guides and checklists
VA Condition Library
Rating criteria, C&P exam prep, evidence guides, secondary conditions, and common mistakes for every major VA-rated condition. Search by name or filter by category.
100% P&T Benefits by State
All 50 StatesProperty tax exemptions, free tuition, license plates, hunting and fishing licenses, and other state-level benefits for veterans rated 100% permanent and total. Find your state.
C&P Exam Prep Checklist Generator
Generate a personalized C&P exam preparation checklist based on your claimed conditions and exam date. The single most useful thing you can have before your exam.
Open Calculator / CheckTDIU Eligibility Checker
Find out if you qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. TDIU pays at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is below 100%.
Open Calculator / CheckPACT Act Presumptive Conditions Lookup
Enter your service era and toxic exposures to find which conditions are presumptive for you. File without proving service connection. You only need the diagnosis.
Open Calculator / CheckSecondary Conditions Mapper
Discover secondary conditions linked to your service-connected disabilities. See nexus strength ratings and evidence guidance for every mapped secondary.
Open Calculator / CheckAppeal Deadline Calculator
Enter your VA decision date and type to calculate your exact appeal deadlines. See HLR, Supplemental, BVA, and CAVC deadlines with urgency indicators and lane comparison.
Open Calculator / CheckVA Rating Criteria Lookup
Look up the exact rating criteria the VA uses for your condition. See every rating level, what evidence you need, and what it takes to reach the next tier.
Open Calculator / Check5 Mistakes That Get VA Claims Denied
The free guide that shows you what NOT to do. Covers the five filing errors that sink most claims and exactly how to avoid each one.
Read GuideVA Claims Filing Checklist
A step-by-step fillable PDF checklist covering every document, form, and evidence item you need before you file. Download it, check it off, file with confidence.
Download PDFVA Combined Rating Calculator
Calculate your potential combined disability rating and estimated monthly compensation based on your individual conditions. Uses VA math, not regular math.
Open Calculator / Check100% P&T State Benefits Guide
State-by-state breakdown of the property tax exemptions, education benefits, and fee waivers available to veterans rated 100% Permanent and Total. All 50 states covered.
Read GuideThe combined rating calculator is also on its own site: bestvadisabilitycalculator.com
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