The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allows you to file additional claims for disability in addition to your initial claim. You may have new supporting evidence that qualifies you for benefits. In other situations, you are eligible for more benefits. Connecticut also offers a state-run veterans disability program that you could look into.
Original claim
The first claim that you make with Veterans Affairs is your original claim. You could submit your application up to 180 days before your discharge. It may speed up the decision process so that you could receive benefits faster. To qualify for the Benefits Delivery Discharge program, you need to file at least 90 days before your discharge. Any claim that you make after your discharge is a post-service claim. Application acceptance becomes more difficult the longer you wait, so you may want to act promptly.
Special claim
If you have special needs, you could file a special claim. Your special needs would have to relate to your service-caused disability. It’s possible for Veterans Affairs to cover the costs of modifying your vehicle to allow you to drive with your service-related disability. An accepted special needs claim may also increase your disability benefits and provide temporary additional benefits while you recover from surgery.
Secondary service-connected claim
If you discover a new disability that’s related to a service-connected disability, you may file a secondary service-connected claim. An example of this type of situation is finding out that you have heart disease from your service-connected high blood pressure. You might be able to receive VA disability benefits for the heart disease.
Supplemental claim
When you have a request for VA disability declined, it’s possible to make a supplemental claim if you have additional evidence of your service-caused disability. However, it’s important that you didn’t file an appeal for the previous rejection to make a supplemental claim.
You have options in filing new claims, supplemental claims and special needs claims when you’re applying for Veterans Affairs disability benefits. It’s a good idea to look over the eligibility requirements before submitting an application.