VA Disability Rating for PTSD: Criteria, Eligibility, and Making a Strong Disability Claim 

Military service can involve exposure to combat or other intense and potentially traumatic situations, often leading to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). VA estimates that 7% of all veterans develop PTSD at some point – and that rate goes up to 29% for those who participated in the operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

When a veteran can show that their PTSD is service connected, VA will determine the severity of the PTSD and assign a disability rating. This guide will break down the rating formula that VA uses for PTSD and how veterans can best make a claim for disability benefits. You can also watch our Ultimate PTSD Guide in video format below:

VA Rating Formula and Criteria for PTSD

VA rates every mental health condition under the same General Rating Formula and rating criteria. The only exception being PTSD and needing to prove PTSD stressors. Symptoms are then assigned a disability rating.

The VA rating formula goes from zero percent to 100 percent in increments of 10. Not every disability includes each rating percentage. A veteran’s PTSD can be rated at 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, or 100 percent debilitating.

A zero percent VA rating means that “PTSD has been diagnosed. The symptoms, however, are not severe enough to interfere with work or social functioning or to require continuous medication.” A 100% PTSD rating is for “total occupational and social impairment” due to specified symptoms.

Rating	General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders
100%	Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.
70%	Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a work-like setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships
50%	Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short – and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.
30%	Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).
10%	Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication
0%	A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication.

Getting the Correct VA Rating for PTSD

With PTSD disability ratings ranging from 10% to 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%, transparency about your worst symptoms is vital for your rating percentage. VA often rates veterans by the average of their symptoms. So, if a veteran has such symptoms that fall in the 30, 50, and 70% PTSD rating ranges, they will often get a 50% PTSD rating. However, this is not the correct way to rate a mental health disorder.

The basis of a rating SHOULD BE the highest level of symptoms, not an average. So, if a veteran has six symptoms at 30%, three at 50%, and two at 70%, a 70% PTSD rating is proper. Also, VA cannot downplay symptoms and give the veteran a lower PTSD rating or whichever mental health condition is more severe.

For example, if a veteran has suicidal ideations, that is a 70% PTSD rating. However, VA doctors sometimes state that the veteran does not have intent or that the ideations are fleeting. VA will sometimes grant a lower rating by minimizing the symptom altogether. It is, nevertheless, a 70% PTSD rating if a veteran has suicidal ideations—no matter the frequency or intent.

What if the veteran cannot work due to post-traumatic stress disorder?

Another way to earn a 100% PTSD rating is for the veteran to receive unemployability for his PTSD. Unemployability is not on the PTSD rating schedule but PTSD often causes veterans to not be able to work. VA calls this Individual Unemployability (IU).  IU is a way for the veteran to receive 100% without meeting all the requirements on the 100% rating.

VA grants IU ratings when a veteran cannot have gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities. When VA gives an Unemployability rating for PTSD, it means a veteran cannot work due to his PTSD, therefore they receive a 100% PTSD rating due to unemployability. So if your PTSD causes IU you should file for that as well, as it is basically another way to get 100% benefits for PTSD.

Do you want to learn about other ways to increase your VA rating for PTSD? Know that there are many secondary conditions for PTSD you may not be aware of. Check out our guide below for more info!

What if a veteran exhibits symptoms of two PTSD ratings?

Where two evaluations may apply, VA must grant the higher evaluation if the disability picture is closer to that higher rating. Otherwise, VA will assign the lower rating. If a veteran fits criteria for both the 50% and 70% ratings, VA should grant the 70 percent rating.

This is similar to the issue of IU and PTSD. If a veteran has a 70% PTSD rating and does not meet the 100% rating, his PTSD could cause IU. If that is the case, then VA should grant 100% through IU for the PTSD.

The 3 Things You Need to Claim a PTSD VA Rating

There are three requirements that make up a claim for PTSD and you will need strong evidence for all three to win your claim:

1. A current diagnosis
2. An in-service stressor
3. A link between the current diagnosis and stressor

Step 1: Present a Current Diagnosis of PTSD

The first step to receiving VA benefits for PTSD disability requires the veteran to have a current diagnosis. A psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed social worker, or other mental health care practitioner must diagnosis the veteran with PTSD. Additionally, the diagnosis must conform to specific criteria.

It’s important that the diagnosing doctor provides a report that fully describes why they feel that the veteran has PTSD and how the veteran’s symptoms meet the specific criteria. All of this medical evidence must show that it is “as likely as not” that the veteran currently has disabling PTSD.

Step 2: Identify an in-service Stressor

One of the challenges with a PTSD claim is getting service connection. PTSD is not presumed to be related to service, so a veteran needs more than just a current diagnosis. The veteran must show that the stressful event that caused PTSD occurred during service.

This does not mean that the veteran must have engaged in combat. Any traumatic event that satisfies the diagnostic criteria can be a sufficient stressor. However, there are different rules for combat vs. non-combat events. If a veteran can show that they were in combat, then a statement from the veteran may be all that is needed to prove an in-service stressor. Records that may help prove combat experience include:

• Veteran’s DD214
• Certain medals and awards received
• Unit records showing date and location of unit assignments

What other evidence can a veteran use to show an in-service event for PTSD?

On the other hand, if the veteran was not in active duty combat, he must provide more evidence than his statement alone. Sometimes the veteran’s service records can help support the veteran’s claim. But the veteran can also provide other sources of information include details about the people involved, dates, location, and a description of the event. Examples of supporting evidence include:

• Statements from fellow veterans that served with you
• Statements from family and/or friends who knew you before and after service

Step 3: Prove Your Nexus for PTSD

A nexus is the link between the veteran’s current PTSD diagnosis and his in-service stressor. The veteran’s current diagnosis must be related to his in-service stressor. The veteran must prove the nexus through medical evidence, such as an opinion from a qualified doctor.

Another great resource for establishing a nexus is records from a Vet Center. Vet Centers have licensed social workers that will document the connection between the veteran’s stressor and their current diagnosis.

Keep in mind that proving each one of the three requirements above is vital to getting a PTSD claim service connected. If the proof falls short in one area, VA will deny service connection.

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What happens after VA grants service connection for PTSD?

Once a veteran establishes service connection for their PTSD claim, the battle isn’t over. The veteran must do what he can to make sure VA gives him the correct compensation.

Compensation is based on the rating VA assigns a veteran (for example, 50%). This rating is based on how severe the veteran’s PTSD symptoms are.

Because VA ratings are based on the veteran’s symptoms, it’s important to have medical records. These records should detail the symptoms the veteran suffers, and how they affect the veteran’s life.

This is another area where having medical opinions is crucial to building a strong case. The maximum VA rating for PTSD is 100%, but this is hard to get. A lot of veterans end up with a 70% rating and unemployability  because they cannot work.

What About Incorrect Rating Decisions?

Often the rating decision is just incorrect. VA fails to grant PTSD cases but it also fails to consider other issues. VA denies a mental health disorder because the veteran filed for one disorder and actually has a different one.

Veterans, unless they have a doctorate in psychology, are not able to officially diagnose their own mental health disorders. Therefore, when a veteran claims PTSD, VA can deny it. However, VA must see if he has another condition.

VA should determine if the veteran has another diagnosis, which it often does not do. Veterans can often avoid this process by filing a claim for a more generic issue such as “acquired psychiatric disorder.” Another option would to be to file for “service-connected mental health disorder.” By filing for benefits in this manner, VA is responsible to diagnose and/or use medical records.

Speak to a Lawyer Who Can Advocate for Your VA Claim

Receiving VA disability compensation can be complicated, so it’s helpful to have a veterans disability attorney on your side. Hill and Ponton is a veteran-founded, nationwide law firm advocating for the rights of veterans everywhere. We have over 30 years of experience with disability claims and we’re always ready to speak to veterans who have questions about the VA process, if they’re eligible, and what disability benefits they’re entitled to.

Click here to get a free case evaluation or call 1-888-373-9436 today.