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For those attempting to file for VA disability, a VA disability calculator is a helpful tool. Disability filing can be extremely complex, and a VA disability calculator will help clear up confusion around the process.
Since Disability filing can be so complicated, understanding more about disability calculators, these facts will help you get ready to file.
Disability Calculators Make the Math Easier
This is pretty obvious since math is the obvious purpose of a calculator, but disability calculation is more than basic arithmetic.
Disability rates increase depending on your total percentage disability, and all of your disabilities accumulate. Disabilities don’t add straight additively, there is more complicated arithmetic in place for them. Each disability is a percentage of your remaining capability, after subtracting the disability before.
The largest percentage of disability is subtracted from the total first, becoming the new base. The next largest percentage is taken as a percentage of that number, continuing on from there.
To give an example, if you have two 20 % disabilities and 10%, you would first remove the 20, leaving 80 percent. Then 20 % of the remaining 80, or 16 percent of the total. The final ten is taken from the 64 percent remaining, so 6.4 percent of the total. This 57.6 percent disability is rounded down, leaving a 50 percent disability.
If that is confusing, you realize why there are calculators!
Dependents Matter
Anything less than a 100% disability will lead to a less than 100% payout, but dependents increase your pay. Dependents can be children, adult dependent children, or dependent parents.
Regardless of the type of dependent, a disability calculator accounts for them and adds the appropriate modifier.
In addition to your other dependents, your disability calculator needs to know if you are married. Your spouse is also entitled to benefits after your death, but that isn’t relevant to the amount you will receive while alive.
If your spouse is completely disabled, you will qualify for a higher payment. A disability calculator will ensure that you don’t miss any additional details that are relevant to your application.
Disability Calculators Include the Type of Disability
The VA allows added points to the payout if you have certain additional injuries like the loss of a limb or hand. These catastrophic injuries affect the total amount paid out and will change your monthly payment.
While your doctor is the one who will determine the percentage to claim for each disabled region, knowing how to combine those injury percentages to get your total. The VA will only let you calculate your rate once annually, unless on an appeal of a decision.
Calculators Help But Aren’t All You Need
While calculators are wonderful for figuring out your payment, they aren’t able to offer you any advice on how to actually file your claim. Any details you miss are going to be lost without human assistance.
To avoid any complications with filing, it’s a good idea to hire a disability attorney. They will advocate for you throughout the filing process and will be extremely valuable if you have to file an appeal at any point in the process.
Having an advocate in your corner is often the difference between your claim being approved or not. Even if you are able to get your claim approved without an attorney, It can often take much longer without assistance, and that is time you are waiting without income.
In summary, disability calculators are extremely helpful when figuring out your disability payment, but a disability attorney is the most important part of making sure your claim is filed properly from start to finish.
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