Rating Increases

When to consider a rating increase

A rating increase is appropriate when a service-connected condition has gotten meaningfully worse since the last VA evaluation. The VA assigns ratings in 10% increments based on the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 CFR Part 4), which describes the symptoms and functional limitations required at each level.

Before filing, compare your current symptoms to the criteria for the next rating level. If your condition now meets — or comes close to meeting — the higher criteria, an increase claim is worth pursuing.

Evidence that supports an increase

• Recent treatment records showing more frequent flare-ups, new symptoms, or escalating treatment.
• Specialist evaluations (orthopedic, psychiatric, audiology, etc.) documenting worsening severity.
• Diagnostic imaging or test results showing progression (MRIs, EMGs, audiograms).
• Updated Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) completed by your treating provider.
• Lay statements describing changes in daily functioning, work limitations, and bad days.

How increase claims are filed

1. VA Form 21-0966 (optional) can be used (Intent to File) to lock in your effective date while you gather evidence — this gives you up to one year to file the formal claim.
2. Gather updated medical evidence and any new DBQs from your providers.
3. VA Form 21-526EZ is completed for this purpose, listing the service-connected condition and the increase requested.
4. Submit the claim by mail, in person, or through VA.gov.
5. Attend the C&P re-examination if scheduled. This exam will heavily influence the decision.

Effective dates and the one-year look-back

The effective date for an increase is generally the date the VA receives your claim. However, under 38 CFR § 3.400(o)(2), if medical evidence shows the increase in disability occurred within the year before you filed, the effective date can be set as the date of that documented worsening — up to one year prior to the claim.

This look-back rule makes contemporaneous medical documentation valuable: a treatment note from eight months ago describing increased severity can be worth thousands of dollars in retroactive benefits.

Where these claims break down

• ×Filing for an increase when the rating schedule shows you already hold the maximum schedular rating.
• ×Skipping or rescheduling the C&P exam — failure to appear can result in denial.
• ×Describing your 'best day' instead of an honest average and your worst flare-ups.
• ×Forgetting that a higher rating can sometimes lower your overall combined rating if a single condition replaces multiple smaller ones (rare, but worth checking).
• ×Not requesting Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) when an increased rating may make you eligible.

Frequently Asked Questions