If you’re currently rated at 80% by the VA, you’re likely already feeling the weight of significant health challenges. But you may also be feeling the financial pinch that comes with not yet reaching 100%. That final 20% can be the hardest climb, but it’s also the most impactful. For many veterans, going from 80% to 100% can add roughly $20,000 per year to their tax-free compensation. That could be a year’s worth of house payments!
If you believe you are underrated by the VA and want to know how to increase your VA disability rating from 80% to 100%, this blog will help you understand how to put together the strongest claim possible.
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Options for Achieving a 100% Disabled Veteran Benefits Rating
You might think going from 80% to 100% is just a 20% jump—but that’s not how VA math works. The VA doesn’t simply add percentages. Instead, they use a complex formula that considers how each disability affects your overall efficiency. And often, the higher your current rating, the stronger headwinds you’ll face as you try to raise it. As a result, adding even a 30% new rating to your existing conditions might only push you from 80% to 90%.
Check out our VA Disability Calculator to get a better idea of how VA math affects your claim.
Now let’s talk options. If you’re an underrated veteran, here are a few avenues for reaching the 100% threshold. You can show that:
- Your service-connected disability has worsened, or
- Your service-connected condition has led to a secondary condition, or
- You are unable to secure and maintain gainful employment, qualifying you for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
Review Your Conditions
While you can try to add on new conditions, this can be a long road as you try to prove that these conditions were triggered (or worsened) by your time in service. Instead, the straightest path to a higher rating is usually through your current conditions. Start by reviewing your current disabilities, their ratings, and the medical evidence supporting each one. This should include a review of your conditions that are rated at 0%.
Pay close attention to:
- Conditions that have increased in severity, affecting your daily life and your ability to work. For example, let’s say that you were rated for knee pain that has gotten worse and now has a greater effect on your mobility on the job. Pay special attention to mental health claims. The average rating for military mental health claims is 70%. If you’re rated lower than this, you may be due for a higher rating.If you are submitting a claim with new evidence to show that your condition has gotten worse, use Form 20-09951 for a supplemental claim.
- Secondary conditions linked to your primary disabilities. For example, if you have been taking medications to treat your service-connected depression and those medications have caused you to develop GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), you could file a claim for GERD secondary to depression.In other examples, maybe your tinnitus has led to vertigo or your PTSD has led to a constant hypervigilance that has triggered sleep apnea. Remember that the body is a kinetic chain; one condition often leads to another. Use Form 21-526ez2 for a secondary condition claim.
Build a Case Around the Strongest Claim
Rather than filing multiple small claims, focus on the claim most likely to justify a 100% rating on its own. This could be a physical disability that has worsened, a mental health condition like PTSD or major depression, or a secondary condition that has become disabling.
The following steps can strengthen your claim:
Check in with your doctor. If you haven’t been treated for your condition lately, visit your doctor and get a current diagnosis and treatment plan. You might say, “Hey, my tinnitus is really acting up lately,” or “My knee pain is really making it difficult to get around at work.” These check-ins help create medical evidence of your current symptoms.
Get a nexus letter. Your claim will need to show a clear connection between the disability you are claiming and your military service. If you’ve already been rated for a condition, chances are you’ve already established this connection (either because your diagnosis was documented in your service records OR you got a nexus letter from a doctor showing the connection).
If you are filing a secondary claim, it’s a good idea to get a letter from your doctor showing a link between your secondary condition and your primary service-connected condition. Remember that a nexus letter doesn’t need to show 100% certainty. It is simply a letter from your personal or VA doctor showing that it is “at least as likely as not” that your health condition is linked to your military service.
If your doctor has never written a nexus letter, ask about our plug-and-play templates that allow doctors to write these letters using VA-friendly verbiage. A template can save your doctor a lot of time and make sure that their letter says what it needs to say.
A personal letter. A personal letter fills in the blanks between the lines of your medical record. The VA may be able to see an X-ray or the results of a diagnostic test, but they can’t see how your disability affects you from day to day. That’s where your personal letter comes in.
Remember that the VA needs to see functional impairment—not just a diagnosis. You must clearly communicate how your condition limits your ability to work, interact socially, or manage daily responsibilities.
Consider Filing for TDIU (If You Can’t Work)
If your disabilities make it hard or impossible to maintain full-time employment, you may qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. TDIU allows you to receive 100% compensation even if your combined rating isn’t technically 100%.
To be eligible, you generally need:
- One condition rated at least 60%, or
- A combined rating of 70% with one condition rated at 40% or more, and
- Evidence that you are unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected conditions
TDIU claims require detailed employment history, financial records, and strong medical evidence. The goal is to show that your inability to work is solely because of your service-connected issues—not because of unrelated health problems or lifestyle choices.
Be Ready for Your C&P Exam
The VA may require you to attend a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam, even if you’ve already had one for an earlier claim. A C&P exam is one of the most important parts of your claim.
At the exam, make sure to describe your worst days, not your best. Be honest and specific. If you’re filing for an increase in your back condition, don’t say “I’m doing okay” if the pain prevents you from sleeping or lifting grocery bags. Talk about how it interferes with your personal and professional lives. The same goes for mental health claims—describe the full picture, even if it feels uncomfortable.
It’s a good idea to take your personal statement with you to the exam. You can even ask to read it to your provider. This ensures you say all that you want to say and don’t veer off course in your explanations.
Avoid These Common Mistakes When Filing
Too many veterans get denied or underrated simply because they make avoidable mistakes during the process. Here are three common errors to watch out for:
- Not submitting enough evidence: The VA won’t dig for proof. It’s up to you to provide medical records, personal statements, nexus letters, etc.
- Overestimating VA math: Filing multiple new claims doesn’t guarantee a higher rating unless they significantly impact your overall disability. Focus on how your current claims have worsened—or caused additional problems.
- Failing to track your claim: You need to monitor deadlines, respond to VA requests, and follow up if something seems off.
What Happens After You Hit 100%?
Reaching a 100% disability rating opens the door to more than just higher monthly pay. You may also gain access to:
- CHAMPVA health benefits for family members
- Free VA healthcare for all conditions
- Property tax exemptions, depending on your state
- Education benefits like Chapter 35 for dependents
- Travel reimbursement for VA medical appointments
This is why it’s worth pushing through the extra work to increase your rating. It’s not just about the money—it’s about the full scope of benefits that you’ve earned through your service and sacrifice.
Strategy + Persistence
Moving from 80% to 100% is one of the most common goals among veterans—and it’s also one of the most achievable with the right strategy. Whether you focus on one strong claim, explore TDIU, or combine a few updates into a well-supported supplemental claim, the key is being methodical.
Review your conditions. Update your evidence. Be clear and honest in your communication. And most importantly, don’t stop advocating for yourself. The VA claims process can be slow, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for less than you’ve earned. This year could be the year you finally hit 100%.
1https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-20-0995/
2https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-526ez/