Editorial Standards

Our promise

VA Benefits Help Guide produces independent, plain-English educational content for U.S. veterans and their families. We are not a law firm, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and we do not accept payment from any government agency or accredited representative group in exchange for coverage. Our goal is to make VA benefits clearer, not to sell a service.

How we research

• Every guide starts with the relevant section of VA.gov, the M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, and 38 CFR Part 4 (Schedule for Rating Disabilities).
• Forms content is sourced from the official VA forms catalog and cross-checked against current instructions.
• State benefits pages reference each state's official veteran agency.
• We cite primary sources whenever possible — see Sources & References.

How we write

• Plain English at roughly an 8th-grade reading level.
• Direct answers up front, with detail and context below.
• No legal advice. No promises about claim outcomes.
• Examples and step-by-step walkthroughs over jargon.

How we review

• Every page is reviewed before publication and rechecked at least annually.
• Pages touching rating criteria, presumptive lists, or pay tables are rechecked whenever the VA publishes an update.
• We display a "Last updated" date on every guide, condition, blog post, and form page.
• Reader-reported corrections are reviewed within 7 days — use the contact page.

Corrections

If you find an error, email us through the contact page. We document substantive corrections in the page itself and update the "Last updated" date.

What we are not

We are not lawyers, VA-accredited claims agents, or VSO representatives. Nothing on this site is legal advice, medical advice, or a guarantee of any VA decision. Always verify your specific situation with the VA or an accredited representative.