VA disability compensation (service connected benefits)
Are you eligible for VA disability compensation?
You may be able to get VA disability benefits or compensation if you have a current illness or injury that resulted from an injury or other event while in active service.
Both of these must be true. You:
Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and
Have a disability rating for your service-connected condition
And at least one of these must be true. You:
Got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim), or
Had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or
Have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a postservice disability claim)
Presumed disabilities
A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within one year after discharge, or
An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
An illness caused by your time spent as a prisoner of war (POW)
In addition to applying:
Gather any evidence (supporting documents, medical, etc.) you’ll submit yourself when you file your VA disability claim.
Fill out your claim completely and have all the supporting documents ready to send in along with your claim. Click here to find out if you need addition forms.
Click here to apply for VA disability compensation or call your local VA office.
After you submit a claim for VA disability compensation:
To check the status for a VA disability compensation claim only click here.
Managing your Veterans disability benefits
Click here then navigate to the middle of the page to manage any of the following:
Track the status of your disability claim or appeal
File an appeal
Add or remove a dependent
Upload evidence to support your disability claim
File additional forms for your disability claim
Change Your VA direct deposit information
Share your VA medical records
Download your VA benefit letters
View your VA disability payments history
To view the current disability rates click here
Burial benefits
Who may be eligible?
Veterans, service members, and some family members may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery.
One of these must be true. The person qualifying for burial benefits is:
A Veteran who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, or
A service member who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training, or
The spouse or minor child of a Veteran, even if the Veteran died first, or
Sometimes the unmarried adult dependent child of a Veteran could qualify
Who is not eligible?
Certain family members
Individuals who were drafted but then discharged before entering military service
Veterans with a certain character of discharge
Veterans found guilty of a capital crime
Veterans convicted of certain sex offenses
Veterans convicted of subversive activities
Click here to see all of the details. Click here to apply by mail (PDF form).
Information on Veterans burial allowance
Veterans can get burial allowances to help cover burial, funeral, and transportation costs.
You may be able to get Veterans burial allowances if you’re paying for the burial and funeral costs and you won’t be reimbursed by any other organization.
The requirements are:
One of these relationships or professional roles describes your connection to the Veteran.
The Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge
Or the Veteran:
Had been getting a VA pension or compensation when they died, or
Had chosen to get military retired pay instead of compensation
VA will also provide an allowance for the cost of transporting a Veteran’s remains for burial in a national cemetery.
You can’t get burial allowances for certain individuals if they died:
On active duty, or
While serving as a member of Congress, or
While serving a federal prison sentence
Click here for full details. Click here to apply by mail (PDF form).
Honoring a Veteran or Reservist with memorial items
You can apply for memorial items to honor a Veteran or Reservists military service. An eligible spouse or other family member buried in a national cemetery, or certain other Veterans or military cemeteries, may also qualify for a headstone or marker.