Frequently Asked Questions

No. VetComp Planner is an independently developed educational planning tool created by a Veteran. It is not affiliated with, maintained by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA makes all official rating, compensation, service-connection, and benefit decisions.

It can estimate combined VA ratings, model hypothetical conditions, estimate compensation, explain SMC codes, organize claim evidence, and identify federal and state benefits that may be worth reviewing. It uses the information you enter and does not make an official eligibility decision.

No. You select an awarded or hypothetical percentage, and the calculator determines the mathematical result of that input. VA determines the official percentage after reviewing the applicable rating criteria, evidence, examinations, and complete record.

Yes, as a hypothetical planning scenario. Pending conditions remain labeled as pending or hypothetical and are not presented as awarded ratings.

No. The application does not connect to VA systems, submit applications, upload evidence, or change an existing claim. Use the official VA filing options or a VA-accredited representative when you are ready to file.

VA uses a whole-person method. Each additional percentage is applied to the portion of the person VA considers not already disabled. For example, 60% and 30% combine to a raw value of 72%, not 90%. VA then applies final rounding under the combined-ratings rules.

The raw combined value is the result before final rounding to the nearest 10. The rounded schedular rating is the percentage used as the ordinary combined rating. For example, a raw value of 74% rounds to 70%, while a raw value of 75% rounds to 80%.

A new percentage may increase the raw combined value without crossing the next rounding threshold. The app displays both numbers so you can see that the mathematical value changed even when the rounded rating and ordinary compensation did not.

The bilateral factor is a special calculation that may apply when compensable service-connected disabilities affect qualifying paired extremities or paired skeletal muscles. It does not apply merely because a condition name contains the word “bilateral.” The calculator needs laterality and body-group information to evaluate it.

A 0% rating normally does not produce ordinary monthly disability compensation by itself, but it can still represent a service-connected condition. The official effect of any individual rating depends on the benefit or claim issue involved.

No. The human-shaped rating meter represents the rounded schedular rating. A Veteran with a 70% schedular rating and a user-provided TDIU selection still sees a 70% silhouette, with a separate notice that the Veteran is paid at the 100% rate based on TDIU.

Yes. It can estimate compensation using the dependent information you enter and the applicable reviewed rate table. Additional ordinary dependent compensation generally applies at qualifying rating levels, but VA makes the official dependent-status decision.

The standard 10% and 20% compensation rates do not use the ordinary additional-dependent payment structure. The current official rate table should always be used.

Every compensation result displays the rate year, effective date, official source, and last review date. If a required rate is missing, stale, or unverified, the app does not present an exact authoritative-looking amount.

No. The calculator estimates monthly compensation. It does not calculate effective dates, retroactive compensation, offsets, recoupment, attorney fees, or other back-pay issues.

Special Monthly Compensation, or SMC, is additional or alternative compensation for certain specific service-connected circumstances. Different codes have different requirements and payment behavior. The app can explain codes and identify possible considerations, but it does not determine SMC eligibility.

No. A suggestion never changes compensation automatically. The user must explicitly mark a code as already awarded or use it as a hypothetical selection.

SMC-K is generally an add-on associated with certain qualifying anatomical losses or loss of use. The exact circumstances and combination limits are controlled by official rules. Selecting a related condition name alone does not automatically trigger SMC-K.

SMC-S is commonly associated with qualifying statutory-housebound or permanent-housebound circumstances. A combined 100% rating is not automatically the same as one individual disability rated 100% for the statutory path.

A schedular 100% rating results from the rating schedule. TDIU may pay at the 100% compensation rate even when the rounded schedular rating is lower, when VA determines that qualifying service-connected disabilities prevent substantially gainful employment. They remain separate in the application.

No. Permanent and Total is a separate VA determination. A schedular 100% rating may be permanent or temporary, and TDIU may also be permanent or nonpermanent. The app relies on the user to report what the current VA decision or benefit-summary letter states.

No. The app can explain P&T-related benefits and record a user-provided current or hypothetical P&T status, but it cannot infer or determine P&T from the combined percentage.

The Caluza triangle is a commonly used educational way to organize the three general foundation elements of direct service connection: a current condition; an in-service event, injury, disease, exposure, or onset; and a link between the two. The planner uses the framework as an organizer, not as an official legal decision.

A direct claim connects a current condition to military service. A secondary claim connects a new condition to a condition VA has already determined is service connected. Secondary claims may involve causation or aggravation.

Secondary aggravation involves a service-connected condition worsening a separate condition beyond its natural progression. These claims may require evidence addressing earlier baseline severity, current severity, aggravation, and natural progression.

No. Link evidence may come from different sources, including treatment records, a VA medical opinion, a C&P opinion, another medical opinion, certain competent lay evidence, or an applicable presumption. The app does not tell Veterans that every claim requires purchasing a private nexus letter.

A buddy or witness statement may help describe an event the writer personally witnessed, observable symptoms, changes in functioning, approximate timing, or continuity. It does not automatically establish a complex medical diagnosis or medical causation.

A personal statement can explain what occurred during service, symptom onset, changes over time, treatment, functional impact, and gaps in records. Whether it can establish a particular medical issue depends on the facts and the nature of the question.

No. It means the user indicated that each foundation element has at least one supporting evidence item or source. The planner does not determine competence, credibility, weight, legal sufficiency, or how VA will decide the claim.

No. The Fully Developed Claims program is a specific VA process with its own requirements. Completing an evidence checklist does not enroll a Veteran in that program or certify that the submission meets its requirements.

No. The planner stores checklist information only. It does not upload, scan, read, analyze, or transmit medical records, decision letters, DD214s, or other claim documents.

A compensation and pension exam is used to gather information that may help VA decide a claim and, when applicable, determine severity. It is not a normal treatment appointment, and the examiner does not provide treatment or make the final claim decision.

No. VA may request a claim exam when more information is needed. In some situations, VA may review existing medical evidence through another process instead of scheduling an in-person exam.

The examiner gathers and documents information. The examiner does not make the final benefits decision. VA reviews the complete evidence and issues the claim decision.

Missing an exam may delay the claim, and VA may decide the claim using the existing evidence. Veterans who miss an exam for a qualifying reason should follow current official VA instructions to explain what happened and request appropriate assistance.

An intent to file may preserve a potential effective date while you prepare a claim; you must complete and file the claim within one year after notifying VA. Starting an online disability claim, disability Supplemental Claim, or pension application while signed in with an identity-verified account can establish an automatic intent to file. DIC and Supplemental Claims for benefits other than disability require a separate intent-to-file process. Follow current VA instructions; a specific effective date or award is not guaranteed.

No. The application does not access VA accounts or claim systems. Use the official VA claim-status tools for a current status.

VA provides different decision-review options. A Supplemental Claim generally requires new and relevant evidence, except when requesting review based on a change in law. A Higher-Level Review uses the existing record and does not accept new evidence. A Board Appeal asks a Veterans Law Judge to review the issue. The appropriate option depends on the individual situation. Review current official instructions or speak with a VA-accredited representative before choosing a review lane.

The Benefits Explorer compares the rating, status, state, and other facts the user enters with reviewed benefit requirements. It provides possible matches and official links, but the administering agency makes the official eligibility decision.

Many benefits also depend on P&T status, TDIU, state residence, property ownership, primary-residence status, family status, service history, discharge, income, or specific disabilities. Percentage alone is often not enough.

No. Benefits associated with a hypothetical rating are displayed as potential future considerations. A hypothetical calculator result is not an official VA award, and current application actions are not presented as though the rating has already been granted.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia are selectable, but detailed coverage varies. Each jurisdiction discloses whether its catalog contains verified benefit rules, partial coverage, or only an official agency directory.

When verified information is available, the app can explain state and local filing requirements. County administration and interpretation may vary, so property-tax benefits may display a manual county-verification warning.

The P&T Benefits Hub organizes benefits that may be associated with P&T, benefits that use a 100%-or-IU rule, benefits available below 100%, family benefits, and programs that use a different disability standard. The app does not represent every listed benefit as exclusive to P&T.

Planning and scenario information is stored locally in browser storage on the user’s device. The app does not maintain an application database containing those scenarios, Claim Files, benefit-profile facts, or tracker notes.

No. The app does not request Social Security numbers, VA claim numbers, military service numbers, full medical-record text, dates of birth, or other unnecessary sensitive identifiers.

No. The Claim Planner stores checklist metadata only. It does not accept or store medical documents.

Yes. Users can export supported local planning data, import a valid VetComp Planner export, and delete all locally stored application data from the saved-scenarios page.

No. State selection is voluntary. The app does not infer legal residence from GPS, IP address, or device location.

Tank is an optional smart site guide that matches questions to reviewed VetComp Planner tools, guides, directories, and official-resource pages. It does not use a generative language model or send questions to an AI provider.

No. Tank is part of an independently developed educational website. It is not a VA employee, accredited representative, attorney, clinician, or official decision-maker.

No. Tank can point to Rating Knowledge and the Calculator, but it cannot select a percentage or determine what VA will award.

No. Tank cannot predict a claim outcome, determine service connection, or judge whether evidence is sufficient. VA decides each claim from the complete record and applicable rules.

No. Tank cannot read saved scenarios, Claim Files, calculator entries, benefit answers, local storage, or VA accounts. It only uses the question typed into its local panel to suggest public pages.

No. Tank keeps only limited active-topic and guided-step context in temporary page memory, which clears when the page is refreshed. Questions and answers are not written to browser storage, an application database, or analytics.

Do not enter Social Security numbers, VA claim numbers, contact information, passwords, account numbers, full medical-record text, or other sensitive identifying information. Tank does not need those details to suggest a page.

No. Tank uses reviewed local matching and a same-origin public search index. It does not connect to OpenAI or another generative AI provider, and question text is not sent with the index request.

No. Tank can suggest the Forms Center or Official VA Action Center, but it cannot complete, upload, or submit a form, claim, or evidence and cannot change application state.

Use the Report an inaccurate answer link in Tank to open Feedback & Suggestions. Describe the problem yourself without including the conversation or sensitive claim information.

No. Tank does not browse the web or call an external answer service. It can load a same-origin public search index and direct you to reviewed VetComp Planner pages, where you may choose to open an official source yourself.

Tank is intentionally limited to reviewed local navigation rules. When it cannot confidently match a question, it offers broad starting points instead of inventing an answer or route.

Yes. Tank is optional. Every calculator, planner, directory, guide, and navigation menu remains available without opening or using Tank.

VetComp Planner was independently designed and developed by Michael Kondracki, a United States Marine Corps veteran and former M1A1 Abrams tank crewman.

It was created after the founder had to piece together information from numerous VA pages, regulations, rating tables, condition criteria, benefit guides, and state websites while navigating his own VA disability claims. The goal is to give other Veterans a clearer place to start.

No. The founder is sharing personal experience through an independently developed educational application. He is not acting as a VA-accredited representative, attorney, or medical professional.

No. Every claim is different. Personal experience informed the application’s design, but VA decisions depend on each Veteran’s facts, evidence, examinations, applicable rules, and official findings.

No. The goal is to help Veterans understand the process, calculate scenarios accurately, organize evidence, and review official criteria and benefits. Users should enter honest, accurate information and pursue only conditions and benefit theories supported by their circumstances and evidence.

It means the rating criteria that accurately reflect the severity, frequency, duration, and functional effects documented in the Veteran’s evidence and accepted by VA. The app can explain criteria but cannot determine which percentage VA will assign.

No. The app is a self-guided educational tool. A VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, accredited claims agent, or accredited attorney can provide individualized assistance.

VA states that the services provided by an accredited VSO representative on a VA benefit claim are free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge fees under applicable rules.

Use the official VA accredited-representative search and appointment resources. Verify accreditation through VA rather than relying on an unverified commercial directory.

Fee and accreditation rules are specific. Review current official VA accreditation and fee information, and verify that anyone offering representation is appropriately accredited before accepting individualized claim assistance.

It translates general, non-sensitive answers into a reviewable list of official VA forms that may fit the situation. Every suggestion includes a reason, the person who normally completes the form, important limitations, and a link to an official source. It does not decide that a form is legally required.

No. The forms checklist is an organizer stored only in this browser. VetComp Planner does not fill, sign, upload, transmit, or submit a VA form, and it does not connect to a VA account.

Most public clinical DBQs are completed, signed, and dated by a qualified health care provider. Separation Health Assessment Part A is the service member’s self-assessment; follow its instructions. VA may verify information or require another examination and does not reimburse privately completed DBQs. A DBQ does not guarantee service connection, a percentage, or a favorable decision.

VA does not publish one generic official nexus-letter form for every disability claim. A DBQ documents medical findings, while a medical opinion addresses the specific relationship at issue and should explain its medical reasoning. The appropriate question depends on the claim theory and evidence.

Retired records are kept only to prevent accidental use and explain the current replacement. Form 21-0781a and Form 21-0958 are never recommended for a new filing. Form 9 is shown only as a legacy-process record because VA says no new legacy appeals are created.

Broad era labels help you discover reviewed programs. They are optional search aids, not official eligibility findings. A program may also require its own dates, location, service length, discharge, award or family relationship.

No. The reviewed Agent Orange pathways use specific locations, service periods and other requirements. A broad Vietnam-era label does not establish exposure, a medical condition or a compensation award. VA makes the official determination.

Different programs define the relevant service differently. Veterans Pension distinguishes service in the Republic of Vietnam from service elsewhere; Agent Orange pathways use separate location/date rules. The planner keeps those definitions separate rather than applying one Vietnam label to every program.

No. A wartime date period is not proof of a location. Gulf War chronic-illness, infectious-disease and PACT Act pathways have different geographic and medical requirements. Review the particular program's source instead of treating those paths as interchangeable.

No. Post-9/11 is a broad service-era label. Combat service, deployment in support of an operation, location-specific exposure pathways and campaign medals are separate facts. The planner does not infer any of them from that label.

Yes. You can add multiple service periods and choose multiple broad eras. Each program evaluates its own reviewed period against the relevant facts. Selecting more eras does not prove the requirements of more programs.

Some reviewed rules begin or end on a specific day. Month or year entries are useful for general research, but the planner will ask for more information when that precision cannot safely establish a rule. It never invents the missing day.

You can browse without them, select broad eras, or use month/year or approximate entries. An uncertain entry remains uncertain in screening. You do not need to upload military records to research general information.

Only a program that specifically uses that award can consider it, alongside its other requirements. For example, Michigan has a Vietnam Service Medal plate option. A medal does not establish every combat or exposure-related benefit, and the administering agency verifies award evidence.

VA lists the Purple Heart as a priority-group-3 health-care consideration. Some reviewed state programs also reference it, with separate residency and application rules. Select the award explicitly; an injury, combat service or disability rating does not imply it.

VA lists former prisoner-of-war status as a priority-group-3 health-care consideration. Other programs have their own requirements. The planner keeps former POW separate from combat service and Purple Heart status and does not verify military captivity records.

Reviewed starting points include VA health-care priority, the recipient pension and a separate surviving-spouse pension. A living recipient, deceased recipient and surviving spouse are distinct profiles. The award does not automatically establish every federal or state benefit.

It is an optional family or survivor selection used to find reviewed resources. Programs define qualifying relationships and circumstances differently. This planner does not determine official Gold Star status; military-service liaisons and administering agencies can explain the applicable requirements.

Gold Star selections describe the family or survivor's relationship, not an award received by the Veteran. Keeping them separate prevents a family label from being treated as the Veteran's Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or other decoration.

No. Award selections are optional, self-reported planning facts. VetComp Planner does not verify military service, awards or official survivor status. An administering agency may require its own evidence when you apply.

No. The Service History feature does not accept DD214s, award citations, casualty records or other military documents. Enter only the optional broad facts you are comfortable storing locally. Do not enter service numbers, Social Security numbers or claim numbers.

No. DIC uses separate spouse, child and parent requirements, plus qualifying service/death or other specifically listed criteria. Parents' DIC also has an income requirement. The planner can point out missing requirements but cannot decide a survivor claim.

No. Residency, periods of service, awards, qualifying relationships, fees and application rules differ by jurisdiction and program. Check the official administering source. A catalog audit or a record count is not a claim that every possible state or local benefit has been found.

No. Tank uses reviewed public guidance and local navigation suggestions. It does not read your saved Benefits Profile or automatically receive your dates, locations, honors, survivor information or screening results. Do not include sensitive information in a question.

No. VetComp Planner is an independent educational tool. Broad eras, entered dates, honors and survivor relationships are self-reported planning facts, not official status findings. Each administering agency applies its own requirements and makes its own decision.