If a service-connected condition has gotten worse since your last VA rating, you can file for an increase using the same VA Form 21-526EZ as an original claim — you don’t need a new condition, just evidence that an existing rated condition has worsened. Filing an Intent to File first protects your effective date while you gather medical evidence, which matters because a successful increase is typically paid retroactively to your filing date.
Step 1: File an Intent to File
Before you have all your paperwork together, submit an Intent to File through VA.gov, by phone at 1-800-827-1000, or in person at a VA regional office. This locks in your effective date and gives you up to one year to finish gathering evidence and submit the complete claim — without it, your effective date is whatever day you eventually submit the full claim, which can cost you months of retroactive back pay.
Step 2: Gather Strong Medical Evidence
The VA is looking for proof your condition worsened, not just your own statement that it did. Strong claims typically include:
- 12–24 months of consistent medical records showing the progression of your symptoms over time, not just a single recent visit.
- Recent specialist evaluations relevant to the condition (an orthopedist for a joint condition, a psychiatrist for a mental health condition, etc.).
- Diagnostic test results — imaging, bloodwork, or functional tests that objectively support worsening.
- Documentation of functional limitations — how the condition now affects your daily life or ability to work, which matters both for the rating itself and for a possible TDIU claim (see below).
Request records from both VA facilities and any private providers you’ve seen — VA doesn’t automatically pull outside records for you.
Step 3: Submit the Claim
File VA Form 21-526EZ online through VA.gov, or in person at a regional office. You’ll likely be scheduled for a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam, where a VA examiner evaluates your current condition — show up, and bring a clear, honest account of how your symptoms have changed since your last rating.
What If You Can No Longer Work?
If your worsened condition (or combination of conditions) prevents you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) — this pays at the 100% disability rate even if your combined schedular rating is lower, provided you meet the underlying criteria. It’s worth raising with your claim if work has become genuinely difficult because of your service-connected conditions.
How Long Does It Take?
Most rating-increase claims take 4 to 6 months from submission to decision, though complex cases with multiple conditions or additional evidence requests can take longer. If approved, back pay is generally calculated from your Intent to File date (or claim filing date if you skipped that step), not the decision date.
FAQ
Can my rating go down instead of up if I file for an increase?
Rarely, and only if the evidence gathered during the review clearly shows genuine improvement in a condition — VA doesn’t routinely re-examine unrelated ratings just because you filed for one condition to increase.
Do I need a lawyer or Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to file?
No, but a free VSO (available through veterans’ service organizations at no cost) can meaningfully improve your claim’s evidence packaging and is worth using even for a straightforward increase request.
What if I disagree with the new rating decision?
You can appeal through VA’s Decision Review process — a Higher-Level Review, Supplemental Claim with new evidence, or Board Appeal, depending on your situation.
Does filing for an increase affect my current benefits while it’s pending?
No — you continue receiving your current rating’s payments unchanged while the increase claim is under review; a decision can only add to your rating going forward or retroactively, not interrupt what you’re already receiving.
For background on how VA is currently handling claim volume, our coverage of the VA disability claims backlog dropping below 70,000 shows processing has generally sped up, which is a reasonable signal for how long a new rating-increase claim might realistically take right now.