VA disability compensation (pay) offers a monthly tax-free payment to Veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to Veterans whose service made an existing condition worse. You may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (like a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (like PTSD) that developed before, during, or after service. Find out how to apply for and manage the Veterans disability benefits you’ve earned.
You may be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation if you meet both of these requirements.
Both of these must be true:
And at least one of these must be true:
What is “Presumptive” Service Connection
VA automatically presumes that certain disabilities were caused by military service. This is because of the unique circumstances of a specific Veteran’s military service. If a presumed condition is diagnosed in a Veteran within a certain group, they can be awarded disability compensation.
What are “Presumptive Conditions”?
If you are diagnosed with a chronic disease within one year of active-duty release, you should apply for disability compensation. Examples of chronic disease include: arthritis, diabetes or hypertension.
Or, if you served continuously for at least 90 days and are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) after discharge, you can establish service connection for the disease.
If you have a presumptive condition, you do not need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumptive.
Veterans in the following groups may qualify for “presumptive” disability benefits:
If you are a former prisoner of that has a condition that is at least 10% disabling, you may have a presumptive condition.
Whether or not a specific condition is presumed depends on the length of imprisonment.
If you were imprisoned for any length of time, specific presumed conditions include:
If you were imprisoned for at least 30 days, presumed conditions include:
If you were exposed to Agent Orange or served in the following locations, you may have a presumptive condition.
If you experienced one of the following, you may have a presumptive condition:
Presumptive conditions for Gulf War and Post-9/11 Veterans depends on where and when you served.
If you served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, or Jordan, during the Persian Gulf War and have:
A medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses that exist for six months or more, such as:
Any diagnosed or undiagnosed illness that warrants a presumption of service connection, as determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Signs or symptoms of an undiagnosed illness, including:
If you served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or in Afghanistan on or after September 19, 2001 and:
Manifest one of the following infectious diseases to a degree of 10% or more within one year of separation, specific conditions include:
Manifest to a degree of 10% or more at any time after separation, specific conditions include:
If you served any amount of time in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, or Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War, from Sept. 19, 2001 to the present or the Southwest Asia theater of operations from Aug. 2, 1990 to the present.
Specific conditions include:
If you served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, or Yemen or if you served in the *Southwest Asia theater of operations, or Somalia, on or after Aug. 2, 1990.
Specific conditions include:
The Veterans Assistance Commission
of Winnebago County
555 N. Court Street, Suite 300
Rockford, IL 61103
The best way for us to help you is for you to call for an appointment in advance so you don’t have to wait to be seen.
Please call: 815-516-2850
