Military Veterans' Lawyer Blog
If you receive a disability rating from the VA, you will likely receive some retroactive benefits or back pay. Retroactive benefits are paid in a lump sum after the grant of benefits. Your regular benefits will then be distributed to you on a monthly basis.
You can apply for disability any time – there is no “statute of limitations” on VA disability. Nevertheless, the sooner you file after leaving the service the better your case may be because it will be easier to collect records and testimonies to support your claim. It may also affect how far back your back pay will go.
The calculation of the retroactive benefits date is determined by several factors, as follows: