Editorial Policy — How We Research, Write, and Update VA Benefits Content

Why This Policy Exists

claim.vet covers VA benefits — a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topic where inaccurate information can directly harm veterans. A wrong eligibility threshold. An outdated dollar amount. A misread regulation. These aren't just editorial errors — they can lead veterans to file the wrong form, miss a deadline, or leave thousands of dollars in compensation unclaimed.

We take that responsibility seriously. This page explains exactly how we research, write, fact-check, and update every piece of content on claim.vet.

If you find an error, email support@claim.vet. We will review it within 5 business days.

Primary Sources Only

Every factual claim in our content must be traceable to a primary government source. We do not use other benefits websites, non-profit advocacy sites, or attorney marketing pages as primary sources — because those sources can themselves be wrong, outdated, or serving a different audience.

Our primary sources are:

• va.gov official guidance — published rates, eligibility criteria, and program descriptions
• 38 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) — the actual regulatory law governing VA ratings, compensation, and eligibility
• VBA Adjudication Manual M21-1 — the internal VA manual that governs how claims are adjudicated
• U.S. Code, Title 38 — the statutory law authorizing veterans benefits programs
• Federal Register publications — for new rule changes, presumptive condition additions, and COLA announcements
• Congressional Budget Office data — for program cost and utilization statistics
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — for employment and wage data cited in economic context

Rate and Figure Standards

Dollar amounts are the most time-sensitive content on the site. VA disability compensation rates change every December 1 with the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). GI Bill rates change every August 1. Pension rates and other program figures have their own update schedules.

Every monetary figure on claim.vet includes:

• The effective date (e.g., "Effective December 1, 2025")
• The source URL linking to the official VA.gov rate table or Federal Register notice
• The year of the rate (so visitors know whether a figure is current)

Automated Rate Monitoring

We maintain an automated monitoring system that checks VA.gov rates on December 1 (disability COLA) and August 1 (GI Bill rates) and alerts our team when published figures change. When a COLA announcement is published in the Federal Register (typically 60–90 days before the effective date), we update rate tables as soon as official figures are available — not on a lag.

Rate update pages display a "Last Updated" date and note the effective date separately, so the distinction between "when we updated this page" and "when the rate took effect" is always clear.

Content Review Process

Every article, tool description, and eligibility guide on claim.vet follows this process before publication:

1. Draft with primary source citations. The article is written with specific regulatory citations (CFR sections, U.S. Code sections) and VA.gov source links for every factual claim. No claim without a source.
2. Cross-check dollar amounts and eligibility rules against current 38 CFR. Every dollar figure is verified against the current published rate. Every eligibility threshold is checked against the current regulatory text.
3. Verify form numbers and processes against va.gov/find-forms/. VA periodically updates form numbers and processes. We check that linked forms are current versions before publication.
4. Add "Last Updated" date. Every article displays its most recent review or update date, so visitors can assess how recently the content was checked.
5. Schedule for rate-triggered updates. For content with dollar amounts, we flag the specific rate and update event (e.g., "December 1 COLA") so the article is queued for review when that event occurs.

Ongoing Updates

Content is updated when:

• VA publishes new compensation rates (December 1 each year)
• GI Bill rates change (August 1 each year)
• Congress adds new presumptive conditions (as with PACT Act expansions)
• VA updates an adjudication policy in the M21-1
• A Federal Register notice changes eligibility rules or program parameters
• A reader submits a correction that proves valid

What We Don't Do

As important as what we do is what we don't do. These are firm commitments:

• We do not guarantee any outcome for a specific veteran's claim. Benefits eligibility depends on individual service records, medical evidence, and VA adjudication — not any formula or tool.
• We do not provide personalized legal advice. Our content is general and educational. It does not account for your specific situation.
• We do not guarantee eligibility for any benefit. Use our tools as a starting point, then verify with a VA-accredited representative.
• We do not accept payment to feature, recommend, or rank any service, VSO, law firm, or claims agent.
• We do not publish affiliate links to paid claims services within our editorial content.
• We do not cite other benefits websites as authoritative sources for eligibility rules or dollar amounts.

Corrections Policy

We get things wrong sometimes. Regulations change faster than any editorial team can track. A decimal moves, a CFR section is amended, a form number changes. When that happens, we want to know.

When content is corrected:

• The "Last Updated" date is updated to reflect the correction date
• If the error was material (wrong dollar amount, wrong eligibility threshold), we note the correction in the article's update log
• We do not silently delete or rewrite content to obscure past errors

Our Independence

claim.vet is an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with:

• The Department of Veterans Affairs or any U.S. government agency
• Any Veterans Service Organization (VSO)
• Any law firm or VA-accredited attorney practice
• Any claims agent or accredited representative service
• Any paid claims preparation service

Our editorial decisions — what to cover, how to explain it, which sources to cite — are made independently and are not influenced by any organization's interest in how VA benefits are presented.