Possible Changes to VA Disability Benefits in 2025
Whether you’re reliant on VA disability benefits or you’re looking ahead to filing a claim for benefits, it’s important to know what to expect. At Veterans Help Group, we assist veterans and their families in securing VA disability and related benefits. But we know you’re also impacted by shifts in the VA system that may happen after you start receiving benefits, or changes that may affect your eligibility.
Here’s what you should be aware of in 2025.
2025 VA Disability Benefits Changes and Possible Changes
COLA Increase in VA Disability Benefits for 2025
One change you can anticipate every year is the cost of living adjustment. A federal law enacted in 2023 requires the VA to give veterans the same cost of living adjustment the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides. SSA determines its annual adjustment based on changes in consumer costs. Congress would have to repeal or replace that law to terminate the annual increases. For 2025, that increase was 2.5%.
Since the increase is percentage-based, the dollar amount of the increase depends on the veteran’s VA disability rating and on whether they are receiving any add-on compensation such as increased benefits for dependents. For a veteran with a 100% disability rating, the base monthly benefit increased $93.45 in 2025. At the other end of the spectrum, a veteran with a 10% disability rating saw an increase of just $4.28.
Changes to Some VA Disability Rating Formulas
Most VA disability ratings are assigned based on schedules set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations. In 2022, changes were proposed to three rating schedules. It takes time for those proposed changes to move through the comment period and evaluation, so none of these three changes have taken effect yet. But, they could well happen in 2025. They are:
- Elimination of the standalone 10% VA disability rating for tinnitus. Tinnitus would instead be evaluated under the hearing loss criteria. The only time tinnitus would qualify for a 10% disability rating on its own would be if the veteran had a 0% rating for hearing loss.
- A decrease in the VA disability rating for sleep apnea based on needing a CPAP machine. Currently, a veteran with service-connected sleep apnea who requires a CPAP machine or similar device is eligible for a 50% VA disability rating. Under the proposed change, that rating would be reduced to 10%. In addition to significantly decreasing monthly monetary benefits, this change would reduce the scope of healthcare services available to a person receiving VA disability for sleep apnea due to the need for a CPAP machine.
- A complete overhaul of the way mental health conditions are rated. The current rating system focuses on symptoms that impair occupational and social function.The proposed changes would expand the assessment to consider five functional domains: cognition, interpersonal interactions and relationships, task completion and life activities, navigating environments and self-care.
Additions to the VA’s Presumptive Conditions List
In 2022, the PACT Act significantly expanded the list of conditions presumed service-connected for veterans who had suffered toxic exposures during their military service. The Act also provided for the VA to add to that list as research established links between those exposures and other medical conditions.
The VA added new conditions in 2024 and research continues, so additional presumptive connections are likely to follow. Of course, we don’t know what those conditions will be or when they will be added, but prior connections and the nature of much of the ongoing research suggest that there may be new additions in the categories of cancers, respiratory conditions and neurological disorders.
When a new condition is added to the list, some veterans who have previously been denied benefits may become eligible. Veterans who have not yet applied will face a lower burden in pursuing benefits.
Elimination of Copays for Telehealth Appointments
After a successful pilot program, the VA is working to expand access to telehealth services and has proposed eliminating the copay for all telehealth visits. Public comment on the proposed change just closed in January, so even if this change is adopted it is unclear whether it will be implemented in 2025.
Age-Related Restrictions on TDIU Benefits
Currently, a disabled veteran who is deemed unable to work due to one or more service-connected conditions may receive a TDIU (total disability due to individual unemployability) classification if they meet certain other requirements. That classification allows them to receive VA disability benefits at the 100% level even though their actual rating might be as low as 60%–in rare cases, even lower.
Five years ago,the Congressional Budget Office proposed ending those benefits when the veteran reached full retirement age for Social Security as an option for helping reduce the federal deficit. While the motivation for the change is financial, the justification offered is that since TDIU is based on the inability to work, the additional benefits should not extend beyond what would normally be expected to be the working years.
The measure never gained significant traction, but with the recent focus on cost-cutting across federal departments, it may get closer attention in 2025.
Stay Informed about 2025 VA Disability Changes
Some of the potential changes may have no effect on you personally. Others may open the door to benefits you didn’t qualify for before, or an opportunity to raise your VA disability rating. Some may have a negative impact on your benefits or your prospects for securing a favorable VA disability rating. The first step toward protecting your interests is to keep up to date about what is changing and when.
Whether you’re just preparing to file a VA disability claim and are unsure how the changes may affect your claim, believe you may be eligible for benefits that were previously denied, or just need help with a new claim or appeal, Veterans Help Group is here for you. To learn more about how our experienced VA disability benefits advocates can help, call 855-855-8992 or fill out our contact form here now.
More About Your VA Disability Here:
Important PACT Act Update: VA Expands Presumptive Conditions – Easier for Veterans to Get Benefits
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Rates for 2025
