Editorial Standards & Methodology

VetClaimGuide exists to make the VA disability claims process easier for veterans to understand and organize. The people who read this site earned straight answers through their service, so we hold our content to a clear standard for sourcing, accuracy, and honesty. This page explains exactly how we work.

Last reviewed August 13, 2026. We review this policy at least twice a year.

Our commitment in one sentence

We organize and explain the Department of Veterans Affairs' publicly published rules, forms, and procedures accurately, point you to the official source behind each statement, and never invent a statistic, a timeline, a credential, a person, or a predicted rating.

Where our information comes from

VA disability compensation is governed by federal law and by VA's own published procedures, so official government materials are our primary sources. When we describe a rule or a form, we work from the material that actually governs it:

VA.gov program pages, official VA forms, and the instructions VA publishes with them.
Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including Part 3 on adjudication and Part 4, the Schedule for Rating Disabilities, which our combined-rating content is built on.
The M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, VA's publicly available internal manual, used as a reference for how VA processes and develops claims.
VA's published compensation rate tables, which our calculators reference rather than invent.

Where a claim depends on an outside source, we link to a primary reference, favoring official .gov pages so you can read the rule at its source and confirm it yourself.

How we handle outcomes we cannot know

Every claim is decided by VA on its own evidence, and no publisher can honestly tell you what your rating, your effective date, or your decision timeline will be. So we do not try. Our guides explain how the published rules work and what each form asks for, our calculators apply VA's published tables and rates to the numbers you enter, and none of it predicts what VA will decide in your case. Where procedures vary by regional office or change over time, we say so plainly instead of pretending the process is more uniform than it is.

Who writes and reviews our content

Our articles are researched, written, and edited by the VetClaimGuide Editorial Team, a group of writers and researchers who focus on VA disability claims documentation. Every article carries this team byline and a published or updated date.

We are deliberate about what we are not. We are not VA-accredited representatives, claims agents, or attorneys, we are not VA employees, and we do not publish content under invented expert names or fabricated credentials. When a situation calls for accredited help, such as a complex appeal, we say so and point you to a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, claims agent, or attorney, who you can find through VA's own accreditation search.

How we keep content current

Each article shows when it was published and, when applicable, when it was last updated. We revisit content on a rolling basis and when we learn that a regulation, a form, a rate table, or an M21-1 provision has changed. VA's rules still move faster than any publisher can track perfectly, so a date on this site tells you when we last reviewed a page, not that nothing has changed since. Always confirm current requirements on VA.gov or with an accredited representative before you act.

Corrections and feedback

If you spot something that looks out of date or wrong, tell us and we will check it against the source and fix it promptly. Accurate content is more valuable to us than being right the first time, and corrections from veterans who have been through the process make this resource better for the next reader.

Email corrections to team@vetclaimguide.com with the page URL and what you believe should change.

What we will never publish

Predictions or promises about your rating, your approval, your effective date, or your back pay. Those decisions belong to VA alone.
Invented facts, made-up statistics, or citations to regulations that do not say what we claim.
Medical advice, or any suggestion to describe your conditions other than truthfully and completely.
Content that suggests we file with VA, communicate with VA, or represent veterans in any proceeding.
Fabricated veteran testimonials, success stories, reviews, or ratings.

Independence and how we pay for this

VetClaimGuide is an independent information publisher and document preparation tool. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any veterans service organization, and we do not accept payment from anyone in exchange for coverage. Our free calculators, letter tools, and guides are supported by our paid $49 VA Claim Evidence Organizer, a one-time purchase that organizes your own evidence and statements for your own claim. Buying it is never required to read our free content, and a purchase never changes anything VA requires or decides.

Read more about who we are on our About page, review our full disclaimer, or browse our 1000 published articles.

Disclaimer: VetClaimGuide is a document preparation tool. We do not file claims on your behalf, provide legal advice, or represent veterans before the VA. Not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.