Are you a veteran who has been separated from the military for a long time? You may have been separated for months, years, or even decades — and may have just been diagnosed with an injury, illness, or medical condition that is connected to your years of service. If that sounds familiar, you may be wondering if you are still eligible for disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). You may be asking — is there a time limit to apply for VA disability benefits? We have answers here at VA Benefits Attorneys.

How Long After Your Discharge Can You File a VA Disability Claim?

There is no time limit for a postservice disability claim. Veterans with a service-connected injury, illness, or medical condition can file disability claims at any point after they have been separated from active or reserve military service. Many medical conditions may not appear until years after military service and may get worse with time. And with the PACT Act, veterans can file disability claims based on presumptive conditions that may not appear until years after the veteran’s discharge from active duty. In addition to postservice disability claims, there are no time constraints for increased claims, new claims, secondary claims, special claims, or supplemental claims

With that said — there is a type of VA disability claim that has time constraints and deadlines that veterans need to consider. Pre-discharge disability claims are claims that are filed prior to discharge from active duty under the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) Program. A pre-discharge disability claim must be filed when a service member has 180 – 90 days left on active duty. Pre-discharge claims filed with less than 90 days left on active duty will not be processed. 

READ MORE: What Are Temporary VA Disability Ratings?

Benefits of Filing VA Disability Claims Early

We know that many service-connected disabilities do not appear until years after military service — but there are benefits to filing your disability claim at the earliest possible time. We want to help you get the most out of your VA disability benefits at VA Benefits Attorneys and this quick list of benefits will highlight why it is better to apply for disability sooner, rather than later. 

• Easier Documentation – The longer you have been away from the military, the more difficult it can be to obtain the documents and medical records that you need to file a disability claim. Make the application process simpler and apply for disability as soon as you can to avoid delays related to lost or missing service records. 
• Faster Claims Process – The closer you are to your discharge date, the faster the disability claims process will be. Filing a pre-discharge disability claim with the Benefits Delivery at Discharge Program can ensure that you receive a decision on your claim within 30 days of separation from service. 
• Higher Disability Compensation – Veterans that file a disability claim within a year of separation for their service-connected injury may receive an effective disability date that is closer to their separation date. This ensures that disabled veterans receive more compensation over time for their service-connected disabilities.

READ MORE: Top 5 Mistakes Veterans Make When Applying for Disability 

If you are a veteran who has been separated from the military for a long period and you struggle with an injury, illness, or medical condition related to your years of service, you may be asking — is there a time limit to apply for VA disability benefits? No — there is not — and we hope this overview answers your questions.

Contact VA Disability Attorneys today for a FREE case review!