VA rates PTSD under 38 CFR § 4.130, the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, which is built around occupational and social impairment, not a symptom checklist alone. The rating criteria at 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% explicitly reference how symptoms affect your ability to function at work and in relationships. For example, the 70% criteria include "occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas," and difficulty maintaining effective work relationships or unprovoked irritability can support that level. The 100% criteria require total occupational and social impairment. This means documented evidence of missed workdays, write-ups, conflict with supervisors, or job loss tied to PTSD symptoms can be directly relevant to a rating claim or an increase request, because it speaks to the "occupational impairment" half of the formula.
If you are already service-connected for PTSD and believe your symptoms have worsened, you can file for an increased rating using VA Form 20-0995 (Supplemental Claim) if you have new and relevant evidence, or VA Form 20-0996 (Higher-Level Review) if you believe the current rating was wrong based on evidence already of record. New evidence can include a letter from a mental health provider describing functional impact, buddy statements from coworkers or supervisors, HR records showing attendance issues tied to documented treatment, or a personal statement describing how symptoms affect your ability to sustain employment. The VA's own Compensation & Pension examiners are instructed to ask specifically about work functioning, so being candid and specific about missed days, performance issues, and conflict at work during a C&P exam matters.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Separately, if PTSD symptoms are severe enough to prevent you from holding substantially gainful employment at all, it may be worth discussing Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) under 38 CFR § 4.16 with a VSO or accredited representative, which can result in compensation at the 100% rate even if your schedular rating is lower.
At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, across issues decided from 1992 to July 2026, PTSD issues (174,691) came out 20.4% granted, 21.2% denied and 52.5% remanded (VetAid's Board outcome rates). These are outcomes for cases that were already appealed, not the odds of winning an initial claim, and appealed cases are not a random sample of all claims.
The concrete next step is to contact an accredited Veterans Service Officer (through the VA, DAV, VFW, or American Legion) to review your current PTSD rating and discuss whether a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or TDIU filing fits your situation before you file anything.
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