Understanding Disability Compensation for Presumptive Conditions

VA disability compensation offers a monthly tax-free payment to veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military, and to veterans whose service made an existing condition worse.

Individuals may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions, such as a chronic illness or injury, and mental health conditions, like PTSD, that developed before, during, or after service.

For some conditions, the US Department of Veterans Affairs automatically assumes — or “presumes”— that your service caused your condition. These are called presumptive conditions. If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

Here is more information on exposure-related presumptive conditions:

1. If you served in the Republic of Vietnam or in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during the Vietnam Era—or in certain other countries or related jobs—you may have had contact with Agent Orange, an herbicide used to clear plants and trees during the war.

2. If you served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River between August 1953 and December 1987, you may be at risk of certain illnesses believed to be caused by contaminants found in the drinking water during that time.

3. If you served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, Afghanistan, Iraq, and several other countries in that region, you may be at risk of certain illnesses or other conditions linked to this region.

Presumptive conditions are specific for the location and type of exposure the service member had. Need more information? Please contact the Grundy County Veterans Assistance Commission office to schedule an appointment to discuss a possible service-connected compensation claim based on a presumptive condition.

Grundy County Veterans Assistance Commission : 1320 Union Street : Morris, IL 60450 :

815.941.3152 : https://www.grundycountyil.gov/veterans-assistance/