Many veterans are surprised to learn that when their VA disability claim is approved, they may also receive back pay—sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars.
VA back pay is the money owed to you for the time between when you became eligible for benefits and when the VA finally approves your claim. The longer the delay, the larger the back pay you may receive.
Your back pay is determined by your effective date—which is usually the date you filed your claim or the date your disability became service-connected, whichever is later.
If you appeal a denied claim and win years later, the VA still owes you back pay dating back to your original filing date. This can make a major difference in the compensation you receive.
How is back pay calculated? The VA looks at your disability rating and assigns monthly payments based on that rating. If your rating increases after an appeal, you could be owed even more in retroactive benefits.
For example, if you filed a claim three years ago and were just approved at a 70% disability rating, your back pay will include three years of missed monthly payments at that rate. That’s nearly $65,000 of compensation you’re entitled to.
Want to know how much back pay you could be entitled to? Use our VA Back Pay Calculator at VeteransGuide.org today and get an instant estimate for free.
