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Am I eligible for VA disability?
Here's the honest short answer: if you served, your discharge wasn't dishonorable, and you have a condition connected to that service — you can file a claim and have the VA evaluate it. Most veterans can. Answer three quick questions and we'll show you where you stand and what to do next.
Can I file?
Three questionsAnswer for yourself, or for the veteran you're helping — a spouse, parent, or friend. Wherever it says "you," just answer for them.
Three questions, no account needed. This tells you if you can file — the VA decides the claim itself.
- You servedActive duty, or Guard and Reserve service.
- Your discharge isn't a barAn honorable or general discharge keeps the door fully open — and bad paper doesn't automatically end things.
- A condition tied to serviceOne that started in service, was made worse by it, or is connected to something that happened during it.
Who can file a VA disability claim?
Almost any veteran. To file and be evaluated, you generally need three things: you served in the military, your character of discharge isn't a bar (an honorable or general discharge keeps the door fully open), and you have a current condition that started in service, was made worse by it, or is connected to something that happened during your service. You do not need to know your rating, do the math, or have a lawyer to start.
What if my discharge wasn't honorable?
It doesn't automatically end things. The VA does a “character of discharge” review, several exceptions can still qualify you, and you can pursue a discharge upgrade. If you have bad paper, it's still worth filing to find out.
Conditions can show up years later
Hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, back and joint problems, mental health conditions, and many presumptive conditions are commonly claimed long after service. Filing later doesn't make you ineligible — and an Intent to File can protect your effective date while you gather your evidence.
This page is general information about who can file a VA disability claim — it is not a decision, a promise of benefits, or legal advice. The VA decides every claim on its own evidence. VA Claim Commander is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
How service connection is decided
Three things every claim has to prove.
Veterans law calls it the Caluza triangle — after Caluza v. Brown, the case that set the three elements VA looks for. Miss one corner and the claim is denied, however strong the other two are. Every claim in the app is built corner by corner, and it reads Ready to file only when all three are covered.
- 1A current disabilityMedical evidence of a current condition.Your records read for the diagnosis — or what to add if it's missing.
- 2An in-service eventMedical or lay evidence of what happened in service.Your statement, a buddy's statement, and your service records.
- 3The link between themA medical opinion that the two are connected.A medical opinion drafted from your file, for a licensed clinician to review and sign if they agree.
Most ready to file: your four pieces in — story, daily impact, diagnosis, treatment — and all three corners covered, with a signed opinion for the link.
Caluza v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 498, 506 (1995); Shedden v. Principi, 381 F.3d 1163, 1167 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
All three covered
Ready
to file
You can file. Now build it.
Start with the records you have
Upload what you've got. We'll show you what your records show, corner by corner, and what to do next.