Independent research, practical tools, and primary source guidance for understanding VA benefits.
The rating criteria behind every percentage, disability calculators that show their math, a 450+ condition library, and claim trackers built from VA's own reports. Every figure cited to 38 CFR or VA.gov.
Source: public VA reporting and the federal pay calendar. Updated weekly.
Original research, published with the data.
We file FOIA requests, build datasets from primary government records, and publish every report with its full dataset, methodology, and validation notes.
We have filed 9 formal comments in federal rulemaking, all part of the permanent public record. Every FOIA request behind the research program is listed in the public FOIA log.
California Veteran Education Observatory
Independent research on how federal, state, county, and campus education programs work together for California veterans and military-connected students.
New to VA claims? Start here.
Three short steps that point you to the right pages before you file or talk to an accredited representative. Private. Nothing is saved.
- Step 1 of 3
See which conditions may apply
Tap the symptoms that apply and get the matching condition pages, each with its official rating criteria, the DBQ an examiner uses, and any presumptive flags.
Find my conditions - Step 2 of 3
Check the presumptive programs
Map when and where you served to PACT Act, Agent Orange, Gulf War, and Camp Lejeune paths. A starting point, not a decision.
Run the screener - Step 3 of 3
Estimate your rating and pay
Combine your ratings the way VA does and look up the 2026 monthly amount by rating and dependents.
Open the calculator
Calculators that show their work
A library of 479 rated conditions
Diagnostic codes and rating ranges from 38 CFR Part 4, as published on each condition page.
Not sure where to start? Find your conditionsPopular VA benefit topics
Plain-language explainers with the governing rule linked in every guide.
Disability Ratings
How VA rates each condition, and what the percentages mean.
Browse guidesEvidence & Nexus
What VA looks for, with examples of records that support a claim.
Browse guidesSecondary Conditions
Conditions that can be linked to an already rated condition.
Browse guidesAppeals & Review Options
Compare a supplemental claim, higher-level review, and Board appeal.
Browse guidesCompensation & Pay
Current pay tables, back pay, and how dependents change the amount.
Browse guidesSpecial Monthly Compensation
The SMC levels above 100 percent and what qualifies a veteran for each one.
Browse guidesPresumptive Conditions
Conditions VA presumes are service connected, by exposure and era.
Browse guidesClaim Strategy Basics
Order of operations for a first claim, without the folklore.
Browse guidesThe VA rules we follow and answer
We follow every VA rule through the Federal Register, and when a change matters to veterans we file formal comments on the permanent public record.
- Final ruleJul 28, 2026Rescission of Outdated Veterans Choice Program RegulationsFederal Register
- Final ruleJul 10, 2026Expansion of VA Process for 72-Hour Notification of Emergency TreatmentFederal Register
- Proposed ruleJun 26, 2026Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted Programs of the Department of Veterans AffairsFederal Register
The newest guides on the desk
Rules change and we keep up. These are the guides our editors touched most recently, each dated so you know exactly how current it is.
See everything that changedPTSD Claims: How VA Verifies the Stressor
Most PTSD claims are won or lost on the stressor. This playbook matches each stressor type to its evidence rule (combat, fear of hostile activity, POW, MST markers), covers VA Form 21-0781, what the C&P examiner must decide, the 50 percent floor when PTSD ends a career, and the record that carries the claim.
How VA Rates TBI Residuals (DC 8045): The Ten Facets and Separate Ratings
TBI residuals are rated under DC 8045 through ten facets, with the single highest facet setting the rating from 0 to 100 percent. Here is the facet table, the testing that separates 10 from 40 percent, and SMC-T, the aid and attendance benefit worth over 11,000 dollars a month that most TBI families never hear about.
Burial in a VA National Cemetery, Who Qualifies and How Pre-Need Works
Separate from the burial allowance, VA provides free burial in a national cemetery to any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, plus eligible spouses, children, and in some cases parents. The gravesite, headstone, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care are all included. How to file the pre-need application, how to choose a cemetery, what the State Veterans Cemetery alternative offers.
When you need someone in your corner
A VA accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO can represent you before VA. The directory shows accreditation status verified against the VA Office of General Counsel.
Open the directory