About the Rating Schedules for Anxiety

Once you have been diagnosed with anxiety, you may file a VA claim for your disability. If the VA determines your current diagnosis of anxiety is service-connected, you will receive a rating based on the severity of your condition. Gang & Associates can help you with your appeal if your rating is too low or file a claim for an increased rating if your service-connected anxiety worsens. 

VA Rating of Anxiety 

The VA rates anxiety disorders using a schedule of ratings for mental disorders called the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). The VA acknowledges that a veteran’s earning capacity after disability highly depends on occupational and social functioning. Anxiety is rated as a mental disorder and may result in a range of possible disability ratings from 0 to 100 percent, depending on how severe the disorder is and the degree of occupational and social impairment. See the complete rating schedule for mental disorders. 

• You may receive a 0% rating if your symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with your job or social functioning, and you do not need to be on continuous medication for your mental health condition.

• You may receive a 10% rating if you have mild symptoms that cause you to grapple with work or socially, such as symptoms that occur now and then, but you can control them, or medication successfully manages them. 

• You may receive a 30% rating if your symptoms are more frequent and/or more severe, but you can still manage them. You generally can function on a regular basis but may have some trouble functioning at work and socially. This means you can function most days, but sometimes you cannot accomplish work or social tasks. 

• You may receive a 50% rating if your symptoms are moderately severe and include specified impairments such as impaired judgment or difficulty in establishing work and social relationships. You may be all right most days but may be affected most of any given month.

• You may receive a 70% rating if you have trouble keeping a job and social relationships and have deficiencies in most areas, such as work/school, family life, and overall judgment. You have specific symptoms such as neglect of personal hygiene, impaired impulse control, or suicidal ideations. 

• You may receive a 100% rating if you have total occupational and social impairment due to specific symptoms such as gross impairment in thought process or communication or persistent danger of hurting yourself or others. This means that your anxiety is so severe that it affects your daily functioning. You are likely unable to work or to make or keep relationships due to the severity of your condition.

You do not need to have every symptom listed in the rating criteria to be assigned that particular rating. The VA will assign the disability rating that includes most of your symptoms, even if you have one or more symptoms listed in a higher rating. You will receive tax-free monthly compensation for disability ratings for anxiety at or above 10 percent. 

VA Proposal to Amend Mental Health Disorder Rating Schedule

The VA has proposed to amend the rating schedule for mental health disorders, which they expect will be implemented during 2024. The new rules should result in higher ratings for mental health conditions with less rigid standards for the 70% and 100% rating criteria. A minimum rating of 10% for any diagnosed mental health condition will also go into effect. The amendment will change how the VA evaluates mental health disorders for assignment of a rating more in the veteran’s favor, replacing the current system of assigning a rating based on the number and type of symptoms present.

Appealing Your Anxiety Rating

If the VA assigns a disability rating for your anxiety that you believe is too low, you may appeal your rating. Sometimes, the VA makes mistakes and incorrectly evaluates your symptoms. You have one year from the date of your decision letter to file your appeal. You may also file a new claim for a rating increase at any time if your service-connected disability worsens. Contact us for a free review of your case. We will help you determine if your disability rating was too low for your diagnosis. You may be entitled to additional compensation.