VA Back Pay & Fee Estimator
Enter your effective date (or Intent to File date), the date VA issued or is expected to issue the decision, and the ratings before and after. The tool shows an illustrative retroactive amount and what a 20% contingency fee on those past-due benefits would come to.
Your numbers
Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere. The math runs in your browser.
The date retroactive payment should start from — often the ITF date, or the earlier effective date you're arguing for.
The date the award is (or will be) processed. Back pay covers the months in between.
Additional dependents raise the rate at 30% and above; this tool covers the two most common cases.
Oakridge Claims charges 20%. VA presumes up to 20% reasonable and permits up to 33⅓% if justified.
Questions about fees
Does Oakridge Claims charge a fee for an initial claim?
No. Under 38 U.S.C. § 5904 and 38 CFR § 14.636(c), no accredited representative may charge a fee for preparing or filing an initial claim. This estimator only applies to fee-eligible work after VA has issued a decision — a Higher-Level Review, Supplemental Claim, or Board appeal.
Is the fee taken from my monthly VA payments?
No. The 20% contingency applies only to past-due (retroactive) benefits awarded as a result of the representation. Ongoing monthly compensation is never touched.
How is back pay calculated?
In general terms, VA pays the difference between what you were receiving and what you should have been receiving, for the months between the effective date and the date the award is processed. This tool multiplies the monthly difference by the number of months in that span.
Why does my Intent to File date matter?
An Intent to File can preserve an earlier effective date for up to one year, which can add months of retroactive payment. If you are arguing for an earlier effective date, the date you enter here is often the number in dispute.
Will my actual back pay match this estimate?
Not necessarily. Real awards depend on the exact effective date VA assigns, dependent status changes, annual cost-of-living adjustments, offsets such as military retired pay or severance recoupment, and the ratings VA actually assigns. Treat this as an illustration, not a prediction.
Related tools
Disclaimer: Oakridge Claims is a private business and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No specific outcome, rating, or approval can be guaranteed — results depend on the individual facts of each case and applicable law.