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📞 988 — then press 1PTSD is one of the most common service-connected disabilities — and one of the most frequently under-claimed. Whether your PTSD stems from combat, military sexual trauma, a training accident, or another in-service event, the VA provides disability compensation, free mental health treatment, and a range of support services. This guide explains everything you need to know to claim what you've earned.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or traumatic event. The VA recognizes PTSD as a service-connected condition when it can be linked to one or more traumatic events during military service.
Common service stressors that can lead to a PTSD claim include:
To receive VA compensation for PTSD, you need to establish three things:
If you served in a combat zone and received a Combat Action Ribbon or similar decoration, you do NOT need to corroborate your stressor with service records. Your statement alone, combined with a PTSD diagnosis, may be sufficient to establish service connection. This is known as the "combat PTSD presumption."
PTSD is rated under VA's General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (38 CFR Part 4, §4.130). Ratings are assigned at 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%.
| Rating | Symptom Level | Monthly Compensation (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Mild symptoms with occasional decrements in work/social functioning | ~$171/mo |
| 30% | Occasional work/social impairment; depressed mood, anxiety, sleep disturbance | ~$524/mo |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity; panic attacks, impaired memory, difficulty with complex tasks | ~$1,075/mo |
| 70% | Substantial work/social impairment; near-continuous panic, memory loss, suicidal ideation | ~$1,716/mo |
| 100% | Total impairment; persistent delusions, severe memory loss, inability to care for self | ~$3,737/mo |
Veterans with a 70% PTSD rating who cannot maintain substantially gainful employment may qualify for TDIU (Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability) — which pays at the 100% rate even without a 100% schedular rating.
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) refers to sexual assault or sexual harassment that occurred during military service. The VA provides free, specialized mental health care to all veterans who report MST — regardless of service-connected status, discharge status, or ability to prove what happened.
MST claims are among the most difficult to file — not because veterans don't qualify, but because MST was historically underreported and official records often don't exist. The VA has specific policies to help:
Every VA facility has an MST coordinator available to help survivors access care and file claims. You can request to work with a female or male provider, and VA law prohibits mandatory reporting — meaning you control what information is shared outside of VA care.
claim.vet can help you prepare a PTSD or MST claim with compassion and confidentiality. Our AI guides you through the process in plain English. Free for veterans, always.
Start Your PTSD Claim — FreeYour PTSD claim cannot succeed without a formal diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional — a psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or similar. If you haven't been diagnosed, the VA will conduct a mental health evaluation as part of your C&P exam.
Your personal statement (Statement in Support of Claim, VA Form 21-4138) is one of the most powerful pieces of evidence you can submit. Describe the traumatic event(s) in as much detail as possible: date, location, what happened, who was involved, and how it has affected your life since. First-person accounts carry significant weight.
A buddy statement is a written statement from a fellow service member, family member, or anyone else who can attest to witnessing the traumatic event or observing changes in your behavior afterward. Buddy statements are submitted on VA Form 21-4138 and can dramatically strengthen a claim, especially when official records are incomplete.
A nexus letter from a licensed mental health professional explicitly connects your current PTSD diagnosis to your in-service stressor. While the VA's C&P examiner will evaluate this connection, a private nexus letter from your own treating provider gives you an independent, favorable medical opinion in your claim file.
The VA rates PTSD based on the frequency and severity of symptoms — not the severity of the original trauma. Keep a symptom journal documenting how PTSD affects your daily life: sleep, relationships, work performance, social interactions, panic attacks, flashbacks, and anything else. This becomes evidence.
The VA offers a comprehensive range of mental health treatments for PTSD, many of which are free regardless of disability rating or income:
A service-connected PTSD rating opens the door to many additional VA benefits:
If you're struggling, please reach out. The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — confidential support from people who understand military service.
📞 988 — press 1 for Veterans Crisis LineYou can also reach the Vet Center Call Center at 1-877-927-8387 for non-crisis peer support from fellow combat veterans.
claim.vet guides you through every step of the PTSD claims process with compassion, clarity, and no jargon. Free for veterans, always.
Get Started — FreeNo. Combat service is not required to file a PTSD claim. PTSD can be service-connected from any traumatic event during military service, including military sexual trauma (MST), training accidents, witnessing serious injury or death, and other stressors. For non-combat PTSD, you'll need to provide a statement describing the stressor and supporting evidence.
The highest rating for PTSD is 100%, assigned when PTSD causes total social and occupational impairment. Veterans with 70% PTSD who cannot maintain gainful employment may qualify for TDIU, which also pays at the 100% compensation rate.
You need: (1) a current PTSD diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional, (2) evidence of an in-service stressor — service records, official reports, or a credible personal statement for MST claims, and (3) a medical nexus connecting your PTSD to the in-service stressor. Buddy statements from fellow service members can also significantly strengthen your claim.