Sample Letter for VA Disability Increase

A sample letter is extremely important when it comes to the approval of the VA for a VA disability increase. When filing a claim for a VA disability qualification or a higher VA payment, you should give evidence to your statements. The issue is that it gets really hard to get proof sometimes.

In these cases, a letter detailing the illness and disability or their worsening can increase the chance of the VA approving your claim. However, you should maintain formality and be straightforward when writing it. We added some samples here to aid you.

When is a Letter for VA Disability Increase Necessary?

A VA disability increase letter is necessary, especially when you don’t have much physical proof of your claim. Yes, VA may examine your body for illnesses, but they may not be able to find the relationship of it with your service. But your disability must be service-connected for VA benefits.

However, we advise submitting a letter regardless of the amount of evidence you have. It works as a great addition and doesn’t take much writing time.

If your service-related illness, disability, or mental sicknesses worsens, you are eligible for an increased benefit. VA usually uses a rating system for it and gives you a higher rating when the worsening of your disability is proven to be service-related.

In these cases, your letter should be from a family member or friend. Moreover, they can also be from a person you served with. However, the latter is mainly better for your initial VA disability payment claim, while the former is suited for an increase in the payment amount.

Importance of a Letter from a Family Member to the VA

You may think that letter from someone who served with you will have more significance to the VA than a letter from a family member. However, that is not the case. In fact, when you are filing a claim for an increase in benefits, a supporting letter from family is way more important.

When evaluating your claim, VA needs evidence that, as VA puts it, ’at least likely than not’ proves your statement. Simply put, there has to be at least a 50% chance of your claim to be true based on your evidence. That is why a supporting letter is necessary as a part of the proof.

You can only get an increase in payment when your disability has worsened. However, someone who served with you shouldn’t know about it. The people that should notice it are you, your family members, and your friends. That is why letters from them are more credible in this instance.

They can explain how your worsening conditions affect your personal life, career, and other aspects. They may also write about the difference in your condition before and after your service.

Standards for a Letter for Increased VA Benefits

Follow these points when writing a letter for a veteran to get a higher VA benefit-

• The letter must be straightforward, factual, true, and short. Avoid digression, overextension, or lengthy introduction.
• Avoid false information, exaggeration, hearsay, lie, or unconfirmed information. If you must, mention that the information is not confirmed enough.
• The letter must have full contact details of the author, the date of writing, and the veteran’s name.
• Ideally, you should submit the letter on the VA form online. But as for a physical letter, you can pen it on letter-sized paper.
• Add a closing statement mentioning that the letter’s information is correct and credible.
• Finally, the closing must have the author’s full name and signature.

Sample Letter from Your Family Member for VA Disability Increase

13 June 2011

Department of Veteran Affairs

Greetings,

I am Trevor Huber, younger brother of Mark Huber and a resident of the Bay Area, Corpus Christi, Texas. Mark is a veteran who served in the USA Air Force since 2001. He has several mental conditions, including but not limited to constant panic attacks, memory loss, difficulty sleeping, depression, and anxiety.

As a result, both his career and his personal life are in a mess right now. He couldn’t bear the load of his job or keep a cool head when in meetings. Following a series of complaints, his boss fired him. Meanwhile, he is also having a terrible marriage life. He has a poor relationship with his two children, and his wife divorced him.

This series of events is also affecting his health. I grew up with him, and he has always been cheerful. But his current conditions after his service days have turned him into a completely different person.

His illnesses still linger after several visits to medical centers and psychologists. He only was able to suppress his conditions but has not completely gotten rid of them.

All the details above are correct and true without a shred of exaggeration or hearsay, to the best of my knowledge.

Yours sincerely

Trevor Huber

Bay Area, Corpus Christi,

Texas, USA

How Can I Understand the Diagnostic Codes in My VA Disability Rating Breakdown Letter?

Understanding va disability ratings can seem overwhelming, but taking the time to decode the diagnostic codes in your breakdown letter can provide clarity. These codes represent specific medical conditions or ailments, helping you comprehend how the rating process determines compensation. By familiarizing yourself with these codes, you can gain a clear understanding of your entitlements and navigate the VA disability system more effectively.

Ending Note

It is often not easy or possible to link a disease or illness with one’s service days. Hence, VA asks for ample evidence from the applicant. Some such proofs are VA or private medical reports, such as from VA Disability Coach. But aside from them, a supporting letter from family, friends, or fellow veterans you served with is very important. These personalized letters help VA in their investigation and even may be the biggest reason behind the approval of your claim. Once the VA approves or denies your claim, they will send you a notification letter.