When Your Rating No Longer Fits

You won your VA claim and have been receiving benefits for a service-connected condition. But over the years, the symptoms have gotten worse. The rating you received no longer reflects the severity of your disability and its impact on your life.

It’s time to file a claim for increase.

Building a Successful Increase Claim:

The key to winning an increase claim is new medical evidence. You must show that your condition has objectively worsened since your last rating decision.

  1. Get Current Medical Treatment: The VA needs to see that you are actively seeking treatment for your condition. Regular appointments with your primary doctor or specialists are crucial.
  2. Document Worsening Symptoms: Tell your doctor exactly how your symptoms have worsened. Are you in more pain? Is your range of motion more limited? Are you suffering from more frequent panic attacks? This needs to be in your medical records.
  3. A New Nexus is Not Needed: Because you are already service-connected, you do not need to prove the link to your service again. The entire focus is on the current severity of your symptoms.
  4. Submit a Personal Statement: Write a statement explaining in your own words how the condition has worsened and how it impacts your daily life more now than it did before.

Filing for an increase can be straightforward if you have the right evidence. Don’t continue to live with a rating that doesn’t match your reality.