Rating Protection Timeline
VA ratings get harder to reduce the longer they stay in place. Enter when each rating took effect and see the exact dates it becomes shielded, the 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year milestones, plus the age-55 exam exemption.
Enter each rating and the date it took effect. We will plot the exact dates it becomes harder to touch: the 5-year stabilization rule, the 10-year service-connection protection, and the 20-year hard floor, plus the age-55 exam exemption if you add your date of birth. VA makes all final determinations.
Questions veterans ask about protected ratings
Can VA ever reduce a protected rating?
The protections are strong but not absolute. A rating in effect 20 years (38 CFR 3.951(b)) and service connection in effect 10 years (38 CFR 3.957) can only be undone on a showing that the original grant was based on fraud. A rating in effect 5 years generally cannot be cut on a single re-examination (38 CFR 3.344(a)); the exception is when all the evidence clearly shows sustained improvement. VA still makes all final determinations.
What is the difference between the 5, 10, and 20 year rules?
The 5-year rule (3.344(a)) blocks a reduction based on one exam, unless all the evidence clearly shows sustained improvement. The 10-year rule (3.957) protects the service connection itself from being severed. The 20-year rule (3.951(b)) freezes the rating so it cannot drop below its level. They stack as time passes.
What is the age 55 'rule'?
It is VA practice, not a hard regulation. Under 38 CFR 3.327 and the M21-1 manual, VA generally does not schedule routine future re-examinations for veterans over 55 except in unusual circumstances, which makes a reduction much less likely. It is policy that can have exceptions.
What about a 100 percent permanent and total (P&T) rating?
A rating marked permanent and total is generally not subject to routine re-examination at all. The 'permanent' finding means future improvement is not expected, so VA does not schedule review exams.