What Is the Average PTSD Claim Rating From the VA?
Though exact statistics are not readily available from the VA, the Army gives an automatic 50 percent PTSD rating, regardless of the magnitude of the symptoms. It is likely that the average VA rating is the same or greater, according to TIME Magazine.
The VA rates degrees of PTSD by evaluating recent clinical evidence in order to determine how severely PTSD is affecting the social and occupational lives of veterans. PTSD compensation is thus based on this rating. A zero percent rating provides no additional compensation, with compensation levels increasing every 10 percent, up to 100 percent. A 100 percent PTSD rating is only given if the veteran has suffered from total occupational and social impairment, as evidenced by persistent delusions or hallucinations and the inability to perform daily tasks, among others.
PTSD is estimated to have affected 20 percent of veterans from the war in Iraq, 10 percent of Gulf War veterans and up to 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans. Currently, an estimated 8.92 million veterans are enrolled in the VA health care system, with 3.95 million receiving disability compensation. A veteran with no children receiving a rating between 70 and 100 percent could receive between $2,906.83 and $3,329.03, depending on marital status and whether or not his or her parents are considered as dependents.
