VA Disability Claims Guide & Resources
Shipmate-to-shipmate VA disability playbooks, pathfinders, and calculators to file, appeal, or increase your rating—plain English, CFR-aware, and tested in real claims.
- Pick your lane fast: run the Start Here pathfinder to select the right claim or appeal playbook.
- Stage proof before VA asks: organize records, nexus letters, and lay statements so uploads are ready.
- Model pay up front: use the VA disability calculator to mirror real VA math and dependent pay.
Mission Ready Resources
Top Moves to Run First
These six links are the fastest way to stabilize your claim: pick the right lane, confirm presumptives, stage proof before VA asks, and model pay so you know what’s at stake before you file or appeal.
VA Processing Time Tracker
Latest Disability Claim Decision Speed
Already Filed?
Next Moves for Ongoing Claims
- Supplemental Claim Field Manual — add new and relevant evidence if the VA missed key proof.
- Rating Increase Field Manual — document worsening symptoms and lock in higher percentages.
- Tinnitus Field Manual — noise exposure playbook for the VA’s most common award.
- Sleep Apnea Field Manual — CPAP, nexus, and Diagnostic Code 6847 strategy.
Who is this guy?
About the Submarine Veteran Behind VA Claim Helper
Meet the crew chief: I’m a submarine veteran (ET2/SS, USS Pittsburgh 1995–2005) who turned years of trial-and-error filings into plain-English, veteran-tested guides.
- No-fluff breakdowns that make C&P exams, nexus evidence, and VA math easier to execute.
- Daily intel from r/VAClaimHelp, plus templates, calculators, and checklists built for real claim packets.
- Pathfinders and roadmaps that keep your effective date, document every condition, and speak the VA’s language.
New here? Start with the Start Here pathfinder, stage evidence with the Claim Prep Checklist, and grab ready-to-use templates from Templates. When you need numbers, the VA disability calculator mirrors real VA math.
Tip of the Day
MST/PTSD Proof: Write a One-Page Marker Summary and Upload Today
MST/PTSD claims win with 'markers'—write your one-page marker summary today. Open a doc and, in plain, date-stamped lines, list month/year and unit/location for each behavioral change around the event: sudden duty transfer or MOS change, downgraded evals, counseling or chaplain visits, medical visits, pregnancy/STD testing, leave pattern shifts, relationship/work issues, substance use, or disciplinary actions, plus who can verify. Keep it factual, one page max. Save as “MST‑PTSD Marker Summary.pdf” and upload on VA.gov to your claim under Supporting documents today; see VA.gov for MST evidence tips.
Daily Briefings
Get Daily VA Claim Tips
Daily VA disability claim briefings with evidence reminders, VA Form 21-526EZ checklists, and C&P exam prep emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
- Weekly VA claim evidence reminders you can check off.
- C&P exam prep emails with scripts and symptom prompts.
- VA rating update alerts plus nexus and lay statement templates.
Question of the Day
Question of the Day
Your Guide to Winning VA Disability Claims & Getting the Benefits You Deserve
Keep working your Start Here and PACT Act pathfinders, update evidence checklists as symptoms shift, and circle back to the hubs above whenever policy, forms, or pay tables change.