If you already have a 90% VA disability rating, you know how serious your service-connected conditions are. You also know that 90% and 100% are not close in terms of compensation. At the time of this writing, the monthly compensation for a single veteran rated at 90% is $2,362.30/month. But a single veteran rated at 100% receives $3,938.58/month. That’s a significant jump in financial stability.
Unfortunately, that final step to 100% can be a very challenging one. VA math works against you at this stage, so you’ll need a very specific strategy to get there.
This blog will share tips on how to get from 90 to 100% VA disability based on proven strategies from veterans.
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Why It’s So Hard to Move from 90% to 100%
Even if you’re rated at 90%, this may not reflect your true rating. That’s because the VA rounds up. So your true rating could be 85% rounded up to a 90%. Or it could be 94% rounded down to 90%. If you’re at the 85% level, you are going to have a much harder fight.
If you’re rated at 85%, you may think you just need a 15% increase on a rated condition, but VA math is different.
Let’s say you are rated at 85% for your back pain. The other piece of that equation is that the VA considers you to be 15% healthy. So even if you get rated for a new condition at 20%, that will only apply to 20% of your “healthy” quotient…in other words, 20% of 15%.
Since 20% of 15% is 3%, this new rating will only push you from 85% to 88%. When rounded up, this will still only equal a 90% rating. That’s the “hurt factor” of VA math.
First Things First: Review Your Current Ratings
Before you file anything, find out what your true rating is, not the rounded-up version. You can do this by visiting VA.gov.
If you have a lot of ground to gain to get to the next rating threshold and you don’t have a lot of new evidence to support a worsening or new disability claim, it may not be worth the risk to file. There is always the remote chance that when you file for a VA increase, the VA could see that you have made sustained improvement in some areas and lower your rating. You’ll have to weigh that risk against the financial benefits of potentially reaching the 100% level.
Options for Rating Increases
If you decide to pursue an increase, here are some options:
Show How Currently Rated Conditions Are Getting Worse
Review your award letter and consider every condition you’re currently rated for. Have those conditions worsened over time? Can you present evidence to prove it? Showing that already-rated conditions have gotten worse is often easier than submitting for a new condition. You can do this by filing a supplemental claim.1
In order to show a worsening condition, some veterans focus only on the highest-rated condition in their file. That can work, but sometimes the smarter move is finding several smaller issues that have grown worse or were never rated correctly in the first place. If your migraines happen more often, your PTSD symptoms now affect work, or your back pain has reduced your range of motion, those are meaningful developments.
The VA needs evidence that shows your current symptoms meet a higher rating level. A simple way to think about it is this: do not file because you want 100%. File because your records now support a higher evaluation.
That means your treatment notes, imaging, therapy records, and prescriptions should line up with the increase you are asking for. If you are telling the VA your condition got worse, your medical file should show that same story.
Prove a Secondary Condition
Another option for increasing your rating from 90% to 100% is claiming a secondary condition. A secondary condition is one caused or aggravated by a condition that has already been rated by the VA. These secondary claims can be powerful because they build off an accepted disability instead of forcing you to prove a brand-new service connection from scratch.
A few common examples include:
- Radiculopathy caused by a back condition
- Depression or anxiety connected to chronic pain
- Sleep apnea aggravated by other service-connected issues
- Knee, hip, or ankle problems caused by an altered gait
Health problems rarely exist in isolation. Because the body is so interconnected, one issue often leads to a cascade of downstream effects. If you are living with symptoms that could be connected to a rated condition, contact a doctor about getting a diagnosis. Use Form 21-526ez2 to file a secondary claim.
Presumptive Conditions
Another option for increasing your rating is to claim a presumptive condition. Presumptive conditions are illnesses that arise from specific exposures, such as Agent Orange, jet fuel, or burn pits. Many of these conditions fall under the PACT Act. If you can show that you served in specific places between certain dates (as specified by the VA), you may be able to claim a presumptive condition without having to lay out the evidence for a service connection.
You can read more about PACT Act benefits3to find out if you may qualify. This can be a strong option for reaching the 100% threshold with a low burden of proof.
Do Not Ignore TDIU As An Option
If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding substantially gainful employment, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, or TDIU, may be the fastest route to 100% compensation.
You do not need a 100% schedular rating to qualify for TDIU. If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding a steady job, the VA can pay you at the 100% level. For some veterans, this is the most realistic path forward.
This can apply if your PTSD makes workplace interaction impossible, your back and knee conditions limit standing and walking, your migraines force you to miss too much work, etc. The question is not whether you can push through once in a while. The question is whether you can maintain reliable, gainful employment over time.
Evidence You’ll Need
If you’re filing for a new condition, showing that a currently-rated condition has worsened, or filing for a secondary condition, you’ll need evidence on your side. This includes:
A current diagnosis. It’s not enough to tell the VA that you’re feeling sad or that your knee hurts. You need a current diagnosis naming your condition and showing that you are actively under a physician’s care. If you don’t have a current diagnosis, make an appointment to see a doctor.
A personal statement. The VA can see your medical records, but they can’t see how your condition affects you on a daily basis. This is where your personal statement comes in. This brief statement explains how your service connects to your injury, how your injury started and changed over time, and how it affects your personal and work life.
A nexus letter. If any of the conditions you are claiming are not clearly connected to your military service, you will need to prove that connection. You may be able to do that through military records, but if not, you can seek a nexus letter from a doctor. This letter doesn’t need to say that the doctor is sure your condition is connected to your service. It simply has to say that this connection is “more likely than not.”
Take the First Steps
The push from 90% to 100% rewards strategy. It does not reward filing every possible condition and hoping something sticks.
Target the conditions with the strongest evidence. Look for secondary issues the VA may have missed. Consider TDIU if work is no longer realistic. VA reviewers need to see proof, so build your claim around what your records can actually prove.
The path from 90% to 100% is rarely quick, but the payoff is great. Don’t get overwhelmed by the particulars. Get your claim in motion by submitting your Intent to File.4 That baby step can get the momentum going, and you can start building evidence from there.
1https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/vba-20-0995-are.pdf
2https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/vba-21-526ez-are.pdf
3https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/
4https://www.va.gov/supporting-forms-for-claims/intent-to-file-form-21-0966/introduction