STANDWATCH™ · EDUCATION · VA BENEFITS
The four doors, the 2026 pay table, what a rating actually unlocks, the free accredited help system, and how to spot a claim shark before signing anything.
Nobody gets a benefits orientation on the way out of the service, so here it is. This page maps the VA benefits system in plain English: what each major benefit is, what disability compensation pays in 2026 (straight from VA.gov), and who legitimately helps with a claim for free. One thing this page will never do is coach a claim. StandWatch stays out of the claims business on purpose; every case-specific question on this page routes to VA-accredited help, which costs nothing. What we can do is make sure you walk in knowing the map.
Educational only, not advice, and never claims help. This page explains what exists and what it pays. It does not evaluate anyone's case, suggest what to claim, or predict a rating; that work belongs with a free, VA-accredited representative (Section 04). Not the government. StandWatch is a private, veteran-owned company, not affiliated with or endorsed by the VA or DoD. Rates shown are 2026 (effective December 1, 2025) and adjust every December with the Social Security COLA.
People say "VA benefits" like it is one thing. It is at least four separate programs with separate applications, and mixing them up costs people months. Here is the map.
| DOOR | WHAT IT IS | THE KEY FACT |
|---|---|---|
| Disability compensation | A tax-free monthly payment for conditions connected to service, sized by a combined rating from 0% to 100%. | Not income-based. What you earn, own, or collect in retirement pay does not reduce it, and there is no deadline to apply. |
| VA pension | A needs-based monthly payment for certain wartime veterans with limited income and assets, with Aid and Attendance add-ons for care needs. | Income-based, and the opposite of compensation: the more countable income, the less pension. Covered in the Aging & Care Guide. |
| VA health care | The hospital and clinic system. Enrollment is its own application (VA Form 10-10EZ), separate from any claim. | You do not need a disability rating to enroll; eligibility runs on service history, priority groups, and other factors. Apply once, keep it for life. |
| Everything else | The earned-benefit stack: the GI Bill, the VA home loan, VA life insurance (VALife), vocational readiness (VR&E), and burial benefits. | Each has its own door and its own guide on this site; none requires paying anyone to access. |
These are the current monthly rates, tax-free, effective December 1, 2025, copied from VA.gov and rechecked at review. Ratings of 30% and up add more for a spouse, children, or dependent parents; the two columns here show the two most common situations.
| RATING | VETERAN ALONE | WITH SPOUSE |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 (no dependent add at 10-20%) |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 |
Children and dependent parents add more at 30% and up (for example, a 100% rating adds $109.11 per month for each additional child under 18), and higher amounts called Special Monthly Compensation exist for specific severe situations. The full tables with every dependent combination live at va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates.
The monthly payment is the visible part. A service-connected rating also switches on other benefits, and several of these are worth more than the check itself.
| THRESHOLD | WHAT IT UNLOCKS |
|---|---|
| Any compensable rating (10%+) | Exemption from the VA home loan funding fee, which saves thousands on a purchase or refinance. Also commissary and exchange shopping access for service-connected veterans. |
| 30%+ | Added monthly compensation for a spouse, children, and dependent parents (the second column in the table above). |
| 50%+ | No VA copays for VA health care and VA prescriptions, and health care enrollment in the highest priority group. |
| 100%, or Permanent & Total | With a Permanent & Total rating: CHAMPVA health coverage for dependents, Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) for spouse and kids, and in many states, a full or partial property tax exemption on the home. |
| Varies by state | Property tax breaks, free plates, hunting licenses, tuition programs, and more. Every state runs its own list; your state's department of veterans affairs publishes it. |
Two of these connect to other StandWatch guides: the funding fee exemption is covered in the VA Loan Guide, and the property tax and adapted housing side is in the Home Sale & Purchase Guide.
Congress built a system of accredited representatives so no veteran or survivor has to face the claims process alone or pay to get help. Accreditation means the VA's Office of General Counsel has vetted the person and legally authorized them to represent people before the VA.
| WHO | WHAT THEY DO | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited VSO representatives (DAV, VFW, American Legion, and dozens more) | Prepare and file claims, gather evidence, request decision reviews, and represent you before the VA. | Free. Accredited VSO representatives cannot charge a fee for help with a VA benefits claim. |
| County & state veteran service officers | The same accredited claims help, from your county or state government office. Often the shortest line in town. | Free. |
| Accredited claims agents & attorneys | Usually enter for appeals and decision reviews. May charge a fee at that stage, under rules the VA regulates. | Fee rules regulated; initial claims help is still widely available free. |
A whole industry now targets veterans with "claims consulting" that charges for what accredited reps do free, often taking a cut of back pay worth thousands. The VA and state regulators warn about it by name. The tells are consistent:
| THE TELL | WHY IT MATTERS |
|---|---|
| "We guarantee an increase" or "we get you to 100%" | Nobody can guarantee a rating. Outcomes are decided by the VA on evidence, not by a vendor's promise. |
| A percentage of your back pay or future benefits | The free system exists precisely so nobody has to give up part of an earned benefit to receive it. |
| Not in the VA accreditation directory | Unaccredited means not authorized to prepare or prosecute your claim, full stop. |
| "Medical evidence packages" sold up front | Paying for a favorable opinion is a red flag the VA itself has flagged, and it can put the claim at risk. |
| Pressure to sign today | Legitimate accredited help does not expire tonight. |
If it already happened, it is reportable: the VA Office of General Counsel takes accreditation complaints, your state attorney general takes consumer complaints, and the FTC takes fraud reports at reportfraud.ftc.gov. No shame in it; these operations are built to be convincing.
The PACT Act (2022) is the largest expansion of VA benefits and health care in decades. It added a long list of presumptive conditions tied to toxic exposures: burn pits and airborne hazards for Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans, expanded Agent Orange locations for Vietnam-era veterans, and radiation exposure sites. "Presumptive" means that for a covered condition and covered service, the VA presumes the service connection instead of requiring the veteran to prove the link. It also opened VA health care enrollment to more combat veterans, and its exposure screenings are now a routine part of VA care. The plain-English rundown, the covered conditions list, and the eligibility details live at va.gov/pact, and questions about how it applies to a specific case belong with an accredited rep, free, per Section 04.
Whether separation was last month or in 1975, the doors are the same, and it is never too late to walk through them.
| STEP | THE DOOR |
|---|---|
| Get the DD-214 in hand | Lost? Request it free from the National Archives at archives.gov. It unlocks everything below. |
| Enroll in VA health care | VA Form 10-10EZ, online at va.gov, by phone at 877-222-8387, or at any VA medical center. Separate from any claim. |
| Questions about any benefit | MyVA411 at 800-698-2411: one free number, 24/7, for the whole VA. |
| Anything claim-shaped | An accredited VSO rep or county veteran service officer, found and verified through VA's accreditation tools (Section 04). Free, every time. |
| Survivors | The Survivor & Burial Benefits Guide maps DIC, the pension, burial benefits, and the first 30 days. |
DIC and its 2026 rates, the Survivors Pension, SBP after the offset ended, burial and memorial benefits, and the first 30 days after a death, all in plain English, all free.
READ THE SURVIVOR & BURIAL BENEFITS GUIDE →