Yes, President Biden significantly expanded VA benefits, most notably by signing the PACT Act in 2022, which is considered the largest expansion in generations. This legislation added over 20 presumptive conditions for toxic exposure, extended care eligibility for Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 veterans, and granted earlier access to health care.
In 2022, President Biden signed the PACT Act into law — the largest expansion of Veteran benefits in generations. VA then made millions of Veterans eligible for health care and benefits years earlier than called for by the law and launched the largest outreach campaign in VA history to encourage Veterans to apply.
2025 VA Disability Compensation
A COLA of 2.5 percent means that veterans will see a small increase in monthly disability benefits in 2025. Veterans will see the 2.5 percent increase reflected in their monthly compensation starting December 1, 2024.
For 2026, veterans will see a 2.8% increase in their monthly benefits due to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). On October 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026.
Under the updated policy, that limitation is removed — meaning that eligible Veterans can now qualify for up to 48 months of total GI Bill benefits. This policy change also means that many Veterans who were previously limited to 36 months will now be eligible for additional education benefits.
The VA 5-year rule protects a veteran's disability rating from reduction if it has been stable for at least five years, meaning the VA must prove clear and convincing evidence of sustained, significant improvement under normal conditions, not just a single exam, to lower it, preventing arbitrary reductions for conditions unlikely to get better. This stabilization provides crucial security, though the VA can still reevaluate if material improvement is evident, requiring substantial proof for any decrease.
Beginning December 1, 2024, individual veterans with a 100% disability rating can get $3,831.30 per month from the VA, while the maximum SSDI amount for 2025 is $4,018—although the average monthly SSDI check is much lower, at $1,580.
While there's no official "largest" record, one of the biggest widely reported VA back pays went to Korean War veteran Thomas Nielson, receiving over $720,000 in retroactive benefits, including $663,000 for 20 years of denied claims, after a decades-long appeal process. Other large awards, sometimes exceeding $500,000 to $700,000+, are reported by law firms for veterans with very long appeals, often involving delayed effective dates for 100% disability ratings or widow's benefits, demonstrating no maximum limit on potential back pay.
Are New SSI, SSDI & VA Stimulus Checks Coming? Currently, no official federal stimulus bill has been approved for 2025, but discussions continue in Congress about possible relief payments for vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled.
VA disability changes for 2025 include automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for higher monthly payments, significant proposed overhauls to rating criteria for mental health, sleep apnea, and tinnitus, and new rules ensuring existing ratings aren't reduced without proof of improvement, while also focusing on streamlined reviews for new claims under updated schedules for various conditions. Key changes involve evaluating mental health by impact across five domains, potentially lowering sleep apnea ratings (CPAP use) and changing tinnitus from a standalone 10% rating to being evaluated under hearing loss criteria.
The 2025 adjustment means VA disability checks will go up about $4.28 per month for those with a 10% rating and $93.45 for those rated at 100% who don't have dependents. Learn more about VA disability ratings with our VA compensation calculator at dav.org/disability-calculator.
Yes, the 2026 military pay raise of 3.8% has been approved and took effect on January 1, 2026, as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law by President Trump in December 2025, providing increased basic pay for all service members to keep pace with inflation.
The VA disability 70/40 rule is a pathway to Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU), allowing veterans to get 100% compensation if they can't maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected conditions. To qualify under this rule, a veteran needs at least two service-connected disabilities, a combined rating of 70% or higher, and at least one individual disability rated at 40% or more, though a single 60%+ rating also qualifies for TDIU. This rule helps veterans whose combined ratings don't hit 100% but whose conditions prevent them from working.
Veterans will see a 2.8% increase in their VA disability pay for 2026, effective December 1, 2025, reflected in payments starting December 31, 2025, due to the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) tied to Social Security. This automatic raise applies to compensation, TDIU, SMC, and DIC, increasing dollar amounts at each rating level to offset inflation, with no action needed from veterans. For example, a 10% rating increases from $171.51 (2025) to $180.42 (2026).
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Such rules exist for VA to be able to adjust disability ratings, or in some cases to protect a current rating and render it “protected.” This is where a rule like the “55 Years Old” rule comes in, as it belongs to a subset of rules used by VA to ascertain whether a veteran's condition is ever expected to improve or ...
VA Reexaminations: Typically scheduled every three years for disabilities expected to improve. In our experience, you can expect a review examination in 2-5 years from your initial rating unless your condition is static.
100% disabled veterans can fly for free on military Space-A (Space-Available) flights within the U.S. and to some territories, thanks to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, by obtaining a special DD Form 2765 ID card, but they're low priority and seats aren't guaranteed, requiring flexibility and a backup plan.
Effective July 1, 2025, VA will automatically discount premiums for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, and Veterans Group Life Insurance. The premium rate chart shows the lower monthly amount. Learn more about the discounted rate you will see.