What Are Presumptive Conditions?

To understand what Presumptive Conditions are, you should know the limits the Department of Veterans Affairs places on Veterans. The VA has strict rules that limit whether or not a Veteran receives disability compensation. All disabilities must have a proven and clear connection to your time in service. Therefore, if you can not provide proof, the VA will deny your disability claim.

However, depending on your period of service, deployment history, and disability, you may qualify for automatic compensation. According to the VA, this means you may be eligible to receive Presumptive Disability Benefits because they presume that specific disabilities were a direct result of military service. To clarify, there is no need to provide any proof that a particular disability is service-connected, and it does not need to appear in your service medical records.

Downloadable PDF | Presumptive Conditions: A Veteran’s Guide

Even if these Presumptive Conditions appear after your time in the military, you are still entitled to compensation. For some (but not all) of these disabilities, symptoms must occur within one year after your military discharge. In addition, you must have served for a minimum of 90 days, and a VA disability rating of at least 10%.

Downloadable PDF | Presumptive Conditions: A Veteran’s Guide

Veterans Who May Qualify

If you are a Veteran that falls under one of these categories, please refer to the table below for specific Presumptive Conditions you may have.

Former prisoners of war who:

Have a condition that is at least 10 percent disabling

Vietnam Veterans who were:

Exposed to Agent Orange
Served in the Republic of Vietnam or on a vessel operating not more than 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975

Atomic Veterans exposed to ionizing radiation and who experienced one of the following:

Participated in atmospheric nuclear testing
Occupied or were prisoners of war in Hiroshima or Nagasaki
Served before Feb. 1, 1992, at a diffusion plant in Paducah, Kentucky, Portsmouth, Ohio, or Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Served before Jan. 1, 1974, at Amchitka Island, Alaska

Gulf War Veterans who:

Served in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations
Have a condition that is at least 10 percent disabling by Dec. 31, 2026

Gulf War Deployed Veterans who:

Served in the Southwest Theater of Operations during the Persian Gulf War
Served in Afghanistan, Syria, Djibouti, or Uzbekistan on or after September 19, 2001

Presumptive Conditions

Veterans in the following groups may qualify for presumptive disability benefits if they have certain diagnoses.

Click on the group you fall under to see if you qualify for benefits.

How To Get Presumptive Disability Benefits

We hope this guide provides a better understanding of what Presumptive Conditions are and how they work. You may be entitled to disability benefits based on the area you served in. File a presumptive claim to get the benefits you deserve.

If you or a Veteran you know needs help to develop a claim strategy, Contact Veteran Ratings. Veteran Ratings has a 95% chance of success in acquiring the rating and benefits you deserve.

Have a question? On the fence? Contact us for more information. We are here for you — we proudly serve those who served. Veterans are our only priority because they made this the land of the free through their bravery and sacrifice.

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Disclaimer for Presumptive Conditions Guide

Veteran Ratings is not a law firm, and its employees are not attorneys nor are we affiliated or associated with attorneys or medical providers. This office does not practice law and does not give legal or medical advice. At no time do we draw legal conclusions, provide legal advice, or apply the law to the facts of your particular situation. Veteran Ratings is not an agent or associated with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. This guide should not be a substitute for the advice of an attorney or medical doctor.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this guide are for informational purposes only.

Veteran Ratings and/or its third-party affiliates do NOT make any representations, guarantees, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy, currency, or completeness of the content contained on this guide or any sites linked to this guide. The statistics provided on Veteran Ratings Presumptive Conditions guide are based on result averages and Veteran Ratings makes no promises or guarantee regarding possible results. Always seek the advice of a licensed attorney in your state before undertaking any decision and never delay in seeking attorney advice as a result of the information you have read on this guide.

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