Hi, PMontgomery. I got a 50% disability rating and am getting Chapter 31 to go back to school. The Department of Veteran's Affairs applied for me, and I had forgotten. When I was thinking maybe I should apply, I got a call in for an interview. (Four years later). After the evaluation, I waited for a year and was rejected because they had put the wrong year for the date of the traumatizing event on the paperwork. I corrected it, and about six months later got my award.
I've heard a lot about how the American Legion can help with this. May be the only person in the country refusing to ask for or accept a higher disability rating. Don't know about VFW, but help is help. You can apply for higher disability after you get an award if your condition has declined and the VA agrees.
Make sure everything is documented and correct. Rumor has it that it's routine to reject the first time (if you don't have back-up), and that 50% is usually the first offer if they think the disability is substantial. Some people have a 10% rating. A 100% rating can make you a ward of the VA, so do a lot of research, read the fine print, and be honest in the evaluation.
No matter how snarky the bureaucracy may be, most of the evaluators know their stuff. Be advised that the interview can be a huge trigger---especially if you haven't talked about the things that upset you much. They want details.
