If you recently ended your active military service and you have a disability related to your military service, you may be eligible for temporary disability compensation or benefits right away. If you qualify, you’ll get what’s called a prestabilization rating. This rating may be 50% or 100%, depending on the severity of your disability. Keep reading to find out if you may be eligible.
You may be eligible for disability benefits if you recently ended your active military service and you meet both requirements listed here.
Both of these must be true:
If you get a prestabilization rating, it will be in effect for 1 year after your discharge from active service.
You may be able to get temporary disability compensation or benefits right away.
Example: While in active service, a service member was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and began chemotherapy that continued during and after her medical discharge process. She continued to get treatment through her local VA medical center, and we gave her a prestabilization rating of 100% for 1 year from her date of discharge.
You can file a claim online now for a prestabilization rating. You can also file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.
Note: When you file, you’ll have to show that you have a severe, service-connected disability that’s unstable and expected to continue for an unknown amount of time. This information will normally be part of your Service Treatment Record.