The VA rating system is not a suffering contest. It is a medical and functional assessment system that assigns percentage ratings based on how much a condition interferes with your health and ability to work. Under 38 CFR Part 4, ratings range from 0% to 100% in 10% increments, and they're assigned based on diagnostic criteria — not on how badly you think you're hurting compared to someone else.
A 0% rating means the condition exists and is service-connected but doesn't currently warrant compensation. Even a 0% rating matters because it establishes service connection — which means if the condition worsens later, you don't start over.
A 10% rating currently pays $175.51 per month. That's $2,106 per year, tax-free. Over 20 years: more than $42,000. For a condition most veterans would describe as "minor."
Here's what the VA's rating schedule says about conditions veterans routinely dismiss as not worth filing for:
| Condition | Typical Rating | Monthly Pay (2026) | 20-Year Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinnitus (ringing in ears) | 10% | $175.51 | ~$42,000 |
| Mild hearing loss | 10% | $175.51 | ~$42,000 |
| Knee condition (limited flex) | 10–20% | $175–$346 | ~$42K–$83K |
| Lumbar strain (back pain) | 10–20% | $175–$346 | ~$42K–$83K |
| Sleep apnea (with CPAP) | 50% | $1,102.04 | ~$264,000 |
| PTSD (occupational/social impairment) | 30–70% | $508–$1,759 | ~$122K–$422K |
| Hypertension | 10–20% | $175–$346 | ~$42K–$83K |
| Migraines (prostrating attacks) | 30–50% | $508–$1,102 | ~$122K–$264K |
Monthly rates approximate based on 2026 VA compensation tables for a single veteran with no dependents. 20-year values use current rates; actual values increase with COLA adjustments.
Most veterans have more than one ratable condition. A veteran with tinnitus (10%), a knee condition (10%), and mild PTSD (30%) would have a combined rating of approximately 43%, which rounds to 40% — currently $637.87/month, or roughly $153,000 over 20 years, tax-free. That's not serious disability money in most people's minds. It adds up anyway.
"My buddy lost both legs. I'm not going to file for my bad back." This feels like integrity. It isn't. It's a cognitive distortion — specifically a form of minimization — and it costs veterans real money while doing nothing to help the buddy with the amputations.
Your buddy's rating is assessed entirely separately from yours. His 100% doesn't reduce your 30%. The VA doesn't operate on a fixed pool of benefits divided among veterans. Every veteran who qualifies gets their own individual assessment and their own payment. Choosing not to file doesn't free up money for someone else. It just means you don't get paid.
The veterans who "have it worse" would almost universally tell you to file. They know the system. They know what you've been through counts.
Constant ringing in your ears that you've learned to ignore is still tinnitus. It's the most commonly rated VA disability in the country. Rating: 10%. You've adapted to it. The VA still pays for it.
If you have insomnia or sleep apnea — especially if it started after service — there's a strong likelihood it's secondary to PTSD, anxiety, or another service-connected condition. Sleep apnea with a CPAP prescription rates at 50%. That's over $1,100 per month for something a lot of veterans figure is just "getting older."
Every infantry soldier, every paratrooper, every Marine grunt, every combat engineer carries heavy weight for years and pays for it in their joints. The fact that you can still walk doesn't mean the damage isn't ratable. Limited range of motion, chronic pain, and instability all have defined ratings in 38 CFR Part 4.
A visible scar from a service-related injury can be rated at 10% if it's on the head, face, or neck and causes disfigurement. It takes minutes to file for. Veterans routinely forget they have them.
Certain dental conditions resulting from trauma during service are compensable. Jaw injuries, TMJ from a vehicle accident, and similar conditions qualify under specific circumstances.
VA disability back pay starts from your effective date — the date the VA received your claim, or the date you filed an Intent to File. It does not go back to when your condition started. Every year you wait to file is a year of back pay you permanently lose. At a 30% rating, that's over $6,000 per year, every year you delay. At 50%, it's over $13,000 per year.
Filing a VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) locks in today as your effective date. You then have 12 months to submit your full claim. If approved, back pay starts from today. This costs you nothing and protects potentially thousands of dollars in back pay while you gather evidence and decide whether to proceed.
The VA rating system was designed for conditions exactly like yours. Not just for amputees. Not just for veterans with Purple Hearts. For the veteran who can't run anymore because of what service did to their knees. For the one who sleeps with earplugs because the ringing never stopped. For the one who carries anxiety like a second ruck that never comes off.
You were good enough to serve. Your injuries are real enough to rate. The only question is whether you're going to let someone who knows the system look at your situation and tell you what you've earned.
There is no minimum severity threshold. The VA rates conditions from 0% to 100% based on medical criteria. Even a 0% rating establishes service connection, which matters if your condition worsens. A 10% rating pays approximately $175 per month — over $42,000 over 20 years, tax-free.
Sleep apnea requiring a CPAP machine is rated at 50% by the VA, which at 2026 rates pays approximately $1,102 per month — over $264,000 over 20 years, tax-free. Sleep apnea is often rated as secondary to PTSD or other service-connected conditions.
Yes. Tinnitus is the most commonly rated VA disability condition in the United States, rated at 10%. It does not require combat exposure — noise from weapons qualification, aircraft, and military vehicles all qualify as causes.
A VA-accredited attorney will review your specific conditions and give you a realistic picture of what you may qualify for. Free — no obligation.
Get a Free Case Review →VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents in your state. No upfront cost — they only get paid if you win.
Get Matched Free — 60 Seconds →