The VA dictionary

77 VA terms, acronyms and phrases, each translated into a sentence or two of plain English.

0% rating: VA agrees your condition is service connected but it isn't bad enough to pay yet. It can still open some benefits and can be increased later. Read the guide
Accredited representative: A person VA has approved to help you with a claim, like a VSO officer, attorney or claims agent. Only accredited people may legally help you with a claim, and VSOs do it for free. Read the guide
ACDUTRA: Active duty for training, like Guard or Reserve annual training. An injury or illness that starts or gets worse during it can be service connected. Read the guide
Aggravation: When service, or a service-connected condition, makes an existing health problem worse. VA can rate the extra damage. Read the guide
Aid and Attendance (A&A): Extra pay when you or your spouse need help from another person with daily tasks like bathing, dressing or eating. Read the guide
BDD: Benefits Delivery at Discharge. A way to file your disability claim 180 to 90 days before you leave active duty so you can get a decision sooner. Read the guide
Bilateral factor: A small bonus VA adds when you have rated conditions on both arms or both legs, like both knees. It nudges your combined rating up a bit. Read the guide
Board Appeal: Asking a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals to review your case. You must file within one year of your decision letter. Read the guide
BTSSS: Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System, VA's online tool for filing travel pay claims. Read the guide
Buddy statement: A written statement from someone who knows you, like a fellow service member, spouse or friend, describing what they saw. VA calls it a lay statement and often uses VA Form 21-10210. Read the guide
C-file: Your claims file. It holds everything VA has about your claims: service records, medical records, exams and decisions. You can request a copy. Read the guide
C&P exam: Compensation and Pension exam. A checkup VA orders to gather medical facts for your claim. It isn't treatment. Read the guide
CHAMPVA: A health plan run by VA for the spouse and children of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled from service, or who died from service. Read the guide
Character of discharge: The type of discharge you got, like honorable, general or other than honorable. VA also makes its own decision about whether your service counts for benefits. Read the guide
COE: Certificate of Eligibility. The document that proves you qualify for a VA home loan and shows your available entitlement. Read the guide
COLA: Cost-of-living adjustment. The yearly raise for VA disability, pension and some other payments, usually starting Dec. 1 and matching Social Security. Read the guide
Combined rating: Your overall disability rating after VA combines all your separate ratings. It isn't simple addition. VA uses its own formula, then rounds to the nearest 10. Read the guide
Community care: Care from a non-VA provider that VA pays for, usually when VA can't see you quickly or close to home. Read the guide
Compensable: A rating of 10% or higher that pays money. A 0% rating is 'noncompensable' and doesn't pay, but still counts as service connected. Read the guide
Continuous pursuit: Filing your next decision review within one year of each decision. Doing this keeps your original effective date, so you don't lose back pay. Read the guide
CRDP: Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay. Lets military retirees rated 50% or higher get both full retired pay and VA disability pay. Read the guide
CRSC: Combat-Related Special Compensation. A payment from your military branch for military retirees with combat-related disabilities that makes up for some retired pay offset by VA pay. Read the guide
DBQ: Disability Benefits Questionnaire. A standard VA form an examiner or your own doctor fills out about a specific condition. It lines up with how VA rates that condition. Read the guide
DD214: Your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. It's the key document for proving your service for almost every VA benefit. Read the guide
DEA (Chapter 35): Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. Monthly school or training money for the spouse and kids of veterans who are P&T disabled or died from service. Read the guide
Decision review: The three ways to challenge a VA decision: a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board Appeal. Read the guide
Dependency claim: The claim you file to add a spouse, child or parent to your VA disability pay so you get paid more. Needs a 30% or higher rating. Read the guide
DIC: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. A tax-free monthly payment to survivors of service members who died in the line of duty or veterans who died from service-connected conditions. Read the guide
Direct service connection: When a condition started or was caused by something during your service, and a doctor links it to that event. Read the guide
Discharge Review Board (DRB): A military board that can upgrade your discharge if you apply within 15 years. Read the guide
Duty to assist: VA's legal duty to help you gather evidence for your claim, like getting records you tell it about and scheduling exams. Read the guide
Effective date: The date your benefits start counting from. It decides how much back pay you get. It's often the date VA got your claim or your Intent to File. Read the guide
Entitlement (home loan): The amount VA promises to guarantee on your home loan. With full entitlement, there's no VA loan limit. Read the guide
Evidence Intake Center: VA's central mail center for claim forms and evidence, in Janesville, Wisconsin. Read the guide
Fry Scholarship: School money for the children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty after 9/11. It pays like the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Read the guide
Higher-Level Review (HLR): Asking a senior VA reviewer to look at your claim again because of an error. You can't add new evidence. Read the guide
HISA: Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant. A lifetime grant from VA health care for medically needed home changes like a roll-in shower or ramp. Read the guide
Housebound: Being mostly stuck at home because of your disabilities. It can raise your VA pay or pension. Read the guide
HUD-VASH: A program that combines a HUD rental voucher with a VA case manager to help homeless veterans get and keep housing. Read the guide
INACDUTRA: Inactive duty training, like weekend drill. Injuries during it, plus heart attacks and strokes, can be service connected. Read the guide
Informal conference: A one-time phone call you can ask for during a Higher-Level Review to point out the error in your decision. Read the guide
ITF (Intent to File): A quick notice telling VA you plan to file a claim. It holds your effective date for one year while you gather evidence. Read the guide
Lay evidence: Evidence from regular people, not doctors, like your own statement or a buddy statement about what happened or what they've seen. Read the guide
Liberal consideration: A rule telling military review boards to give extra weight to PTSD, TBI, MST or other mental health conditions when deciding discharge upgrades. Read the guide
Line of duty (LOD): An official finding that an injury or illness happened while you were on duty and not from your own misconduct. Very important for Guard and Reserve claims. Read the guide
Marginal employment: Small or off-and-on work that doesn't support you, like odd jobs. It doesn't stop you from getting TDIU. Read the guide
MISSION Act: A 2018 law that created VA's current community care program and its drive-time and wait-time standards. Read the guide
MST: Military sexual trauma. Sexual assault or repeated threatening sexual harassment during service. VA offers free MST-related care, even without full eligibility. Read the guide
NADL: Native American Direct Loan. A home loan straight from VA for Native American veterans, or veterans married to Native Americans, on federal trust land. Read the guide
Nexus: The link between your condition and your service. A 'nexus letter' is a doctor's opinion that explains that link. Read the guide
Nexus letter: A letter from a doctor saying your condition is 'at least as likely as not' caused or worsened by your service or another rated condition, and explaining why. Read the guide
NSC: Non-service connected. A condition VA decided isn't linked to your service. It doesn't pay disability compensation. Read the guide
Overpayment: Money VA paid you that you weren't owed, like pay for a dependent you no longer have. VA will ask you to pay it back. Read the guide
P&T: Permanent and total. A 100% rating (or TDIU) that VA doesn't expect to improve. It opens extra benefits like CHAMPVA and DEA for your family. Read the guide
PACT Act: A 2022 law that expanded VA care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxins. Read the guide
Presumptive condition: A condition VA assumes was caused by your service if you served in a certain place or time. You don't have to prove the link. Read the guide
Priority group: VA health care's ranking system, from 1 to 8. Your group affects what you pay and how soon you can enroll. Read the guide
PSAS: Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. The VA office that handles devices like hearing aids, wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and home grants like HISA. Read the guide
Rating decision: VA's letter that says whether your condition is service connected, what rating you got, and why. Read the guide
SC: Service connected. VA agrees your condition is linked to your military service. Read the guide
Secondary service connection: When a condition you're already rated for causes or worsens a new one, so the new one is rated too. Read the guide
SMC: Special Monthly Compensation. Extra pay for serious losses, like loss of use of a limb, blindness, or needing daily help. Read the guide
SSVF: Supportive Services for Veteran Families. Local VA-funded nonprofits that help low-income veterans avoid homelessness or get rehoused fast. Read the guide
Statement in support of claim: A written statement you send to VA explaining something about your claim, often on VA Form 21-4138. Read the guide
Supplemental Claim: A decision review where you add new and relevant evidence. No deadline, but file within a year to protect your effective date. Read the guide
TDIU (IU): Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. VA pays you at the 100% rate if your service-connected conditions keep you from holding a steady job. Read the guide
Title 10 / Title 32: Title 10 is federal active duty under the President. Title 32 is Guard duty under a governor. Title 10 duty usually counts toward veteran status; Title 32 usually doesn't on its own. Read the guide
Toxic exposure screening: A free, short VA health care check-in about possible exposures like burn pits or Agent Orange, offered at least every five years. Read the guide
VA math: The way VA combines ratings. Each rating is applied to what's left of a 'whole person,' so 50% plus 30% equals 65%, which rounds to 70%, not 80%. Read the guide
VASS: VA Solid Start. VA's program that calls recently separated service members up to three times in their first year to help with benefits. Read the guide
Vet Center: A small community counseling office that offers free, private counseling to eligible veterans, service members and families. Read the guide
VetCert: The Small Business Administration's certification for veteran-owned (VOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) small businesses. Read the guide
Veterans Crisis Line: Free, private, 24/7 help for veterans in crisis and their loved ones. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. Read the guide
Veterans' preference: Extra points or a higher place in line for many federal jobs, based on your service or disability. Read the guide
VR&E: Veteran Readiness and Employment, also called Chapter 31. Helps veterans with service-connected disabilities prepare for, find and keep jobs. Read the guide
VSO: Veterans service organization, like the American Legion, DAV or VFW, or a county or state veterans office. Their accredited officers help you file claims for free. Read the guide
Women Veteran Program Manager: A staff member at every VA medical center who helps women veterans get care and fix problems. Read the guide