About VA Claim Helper

The VA disability claim process is confusing by design—tight timelines, dense regulations, and jargon that leaves too many veterans second-guessing their evidence. I launched VA Claim Helper so you get plain-English guides, checklists, and live help that make the system work for you instead of against you.

I'm a Navy submariner who spent six years on the USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) as a NAV/ET before finishing shore duty in Norfolk. When I filed my first VA claim, I flailed: no clue what a lay statement template was, no strategy for C&P exams, and plenty of denial letters to prove it.

Credentials: Amazon-published VA claims author with five-star reader reviews, moderator at r/VAClaimHelp, and the writer veterans lean on for plain-English claim intel. Learning the hard way forced me to document what actually wins claims—and share it without the gatekeeping.

Those lessons now power everything on this site—from our claim playbooks and straight-talking field manuals to the step-by-step Claim Prep Checklist and VA disability calculator. Need to run the math on a new rating? The calculator handles bilateral factors and combined ratings the same way the VA does.

Whether you're filing a first-time claim or appealing a lowball, start with the Start Here game plan, plug into our VA claims FAQ, and tap the Reddit community for real-time feedback. No paywalls, no fluff, just the intel I wish I had from day one.