Veterans Disability Info Blog

Navigating the Maze: A VA Disability Lawyer Breaks Down Migraine VA Rating Queries


Receiving an accurate VA disability rating is essential to ensure that you and your family receive the full benefits that your service-connected disability or disabilities entitle you to. For disability ratings at 0 percent, you have a current diagnosis, and your medical bills will be covered, but you are not eligible for tax-free monthly payments. When your VA disability rating meets or exceeds 10 percent, the VA payment scale kicks into effect, and you may be eligible to receive up to in excess of $3,000 each month in tax-free payments. 

Our highly experienced VA disability attorneys are available to assist with appeals, and supplemental claims that add your migraines to your existing VA disability rating. Connect with our firm to learn more, and read on to learn how to navigate the sometimes complex and generally time-consuming process of receiving an accurate migraine VA rating. 

What is the average VA rating for migraines?

The VA rates migraines based on how they impact a veteran’s daily life and ability to work. It’s true that each case is unique, as no two veterans have the same severity or show of symptoms. For this reason, it’s difficult to tell what the average VA disability rate is for veterans suffering from migraines. Read some of our case studies to get a sense of what your VA rating for migraines could be:

At 30 percent, your ability to maintain gainful, steady employment is impacted, but the veteran is likely not eligible for total disability based on their migraine VA rating alone. To determine your best options, it is helpful to consult with a VA specialist on your initial application. It is also helpful to seek out your own medical evaluation before your VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exam, as you can submit your own evidence alongside your initial application. This can help to support a complete and accurate migraine VA rating. If you have already applied and been denied, a VA disability attorney from our firm can help with your appeal. If you believe that your VA disability rating for migraines was too low at the time or your condition has worsened, an attorney can also help with a supplemental claim. 

How do I get 50% VA disability for migraines?

The highest VA disability rating that you can receive for migraines is 50 percent. To begin, a 0 percent rating is when a prostrating migraine attack happens less often than once every two months. A 10 percent rating is assigned when a veteran suffers from migraines with “characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months.” The term “prostrating” is important to the VA’s determination of your disability rating for migraines.
To receive a migraine VA rating, it is necessary that your service-connected migraine attacks are so severe that they are “prostrating.” The definition of “prostration” that the VA has used in documents is “utter physical exhaustion or helplessness.

The 30 percent rating is for veterans who have “characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months.” Once each month since the time of your application for several months qualifies you for this rating, underlining the importance of submitting a recent expert medical opinion with your application to provide evidence of your condition. When you provide sufficient evidence with your application, it may not be necessary to undergo a VA examination. 

To be awarded a 50 percent VA disability rating, your migraines must meet the following requirements put forth by the VA:

  • Be characterized by “very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.”
  • Experienced at a greater frequency than once per month 

Ensuring an accurate migraine VA rating requires an understanding of how the VA diagnoses migraines. 

How are migraines diagnosed by the VA?

The VA sometimes requires that you undergo a C&P Exam, as explored above, and submit a questionnaire supporting your conditions. As migraines are experienced largely within one’s own mind and experience, it is important to provide the VA with sufficient evidence about how you experience your symptoms. Statements from others in support of your claim are useful, as we’ll discuss below. 

At what point are migraines considered a disability?

Like other service-connected conditions, to qualify for VA disability coverage the following basic criteria must first be met:

  • A current diagnosis of migraines, either from your own selected medical professional or
  • The VA may require that you attend a Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exam or 
  • You may be asked to fill out a disability benefits questionnaire (DBQ) 

These steps may be taken within the context of your initial application when you are able to receive free assistance from the VA in filing your claim. It is essential that you are honest about the symptoms and struggles associated with your migraines to receive an accurate migraine VA rating. When you fail to report symptoms or details associated with your experiences, you may ultimately receive a lower rating than you deserve. 

To support a complete and accurate migraine VA rating within the context of your initial application, it is helpful to do the following: 

  • Keep a written journal of your symptoms and how they impact your day-to-day life
  • Keep track of your migraines, how often they occur, how severe they are, and the symptoms that they make you experience 
  • Maintain a journal of how your migraines impact your ability to work 
  • Submit statements from friends, family, and even coworkers who have witnessed the symptoms of your migraines
  • Provide statements from fellow service members who may have witnessed the event or illness that caused your primary migraines, which means they were a direct result of an event, injury, or illness during active service.

The more evidence you submit to support your claim, the more accurate the migraine VA rating you are assigned is likely to be. While we cannot help with your initial application, there is free help available for that stage of your VA disability application. If your application for migraines has been rejected, the highly experienced attorneys from our firm are available to help with your appeal. If you have another primary condition with a current VA disability rating and need to add your migraines, we can help with your supplemental claim. 

Connect with a VA Disability Lawyer for Help Now

If you have a current VA disability diagnosis for a different condition and need to update it with your migraine VA rating, were denied on your prior application, or your condition has worsened, a VA disability attorney from our firm can help. We have assisted many clients in the past in collecting the benefits that they deserve, including coverage for related medical costs and tax-free disability payments in proportion to the impact the symptoms of your migraines have on your ability to work. 

Many potential new clients ask how much our services cost. As we’ve noted above, we cannot help with initial applications to the VA, but we can help with appeals and supplemental claims. Our initial case review is free of charge, and if we take your appeal, we only get paid if we win out of a portion of the back benefits we recover on your behalf. 

You owe nothing unless and until we enter into an attorney-client relationship, and oftentimes, you’ll have no out-of-pocket expenses at all. We’ll answer any questions you might have before we get started, and our experienced VA disability attorneys are standing by.

We are Here to Help

If you are having trouble obtaining benefits, contact us online or at 888.878.9350 to discuss your case.