VA disability compensation

What this actually is

A monthly TAX-FREE payment to veterans who got sick or injured while serving, or whose existing condition was made worse by service. It covers physical conditions and mental health conditions including PTSD, and a condition that appeared after service can still be service-connected. You file online, by phone, by mail or by fax. It is not means-tested — it is compensation for service-connected disability, not aid, and you do not repay it. VA itself recommends working with an accredited representative; see the next entry for why the word "accredited" is load-bearing.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

You need a current condition, an in-service event or exposure, and a link between them — the medical nexus is what claims turn on. A denial is not the end: supplemental claims and appeals are part of the ordinary process. Do not file a bare claim and hope; gather service treatment records and a current diagnosis first, which is exactly what a free VSO will help you do.