Veterans Disability Benefits Overview 
Establishing a Service Connection
The VA provides compensation to veterans who have a disability or disease that is related to his or her period of military service. A disability or disease related to a veteran’s period of military service is otherwise known as service connection or a service-connected disability.
For example, VA law will entitle a veteran to an award of service connection if he or she can establish the following:
(1) an in-service disability, injury or incident;
(2) a current disability; and,
(3) a medical link between the current disability and the in-service disability, injury or incident.
Appeals for Increased Ratings and TDIU
If the symptoms associated with your service-related disability have increased over the years, or if your claim was granted at an inappropriately low level, you may be eligible for an increased rating for your condition. If you have received a decision regarding your condition during the past year, you can file an appeal for an increased rating. If longer than a year, if you have not, you can file a new claim for an increased rating. An increased rating will result in additional benefits.
Acquiring Your Claims Folder
In most cases, it takes the VA regional office between 4 and 12 months to send a copy of their claims folder to us. All decisions from the VA are based solely on the evidence that is contained in your claims folder. Therefore, once we see the evidence upon which the VA has based their decision, we will be able to supplement the record with whatever evidence is necessary in order to give you the best possible chance at success.
