Veterans Aged 55-64: Important VA Conditions and Benefits

Veterans aged 55 to 64 can gain access to several prominent benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including disability compensation and Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).

In this article, you will learn about the common conditions affecting veterans aged 55 to 64, as well as the benefits most valuable to this age group.

Key points of this article include:

• Veterans can still receive disability compensation regardless of whether they served during wartime, peacetime, or both.
• Veterans whose service-connected conditions have worsened with age can file claims for increased disability ratings to potentially earn greater compensation and other benefits.
• If a service-connected condition has caused or worsened a separate condition, veterans may be able to pursue disability compensation through secondary service connection.

Watch CCK Law Partner Maura Black break down important conditions and benefits for veterans aged 55 to 64:

Can I Earn Disability Benefits if I Only Served in Peacetime?

Yes, veterans can receive disability benefits regardless of whether they served during wartime or peacetime.

“Disability compensation does not require wartime service, and it does not require combat,” says Maura Black, partner at CCK Law. “If a condition began during service or got worse because of service, that can support a claim. We find that a disturbing number of peacetime-era veterans never file for benefits at all simply because they incorrectly assume that they’re not eligible.”

Some peacetime-era military activities that can cause or worsen disabilities in veterans include:

• Long marches carrying heavy kit
• Airborne operations and training
• Breaching and artillery training
• Labor or training in environments that contain toxins like asbestos or lead

What Conditions Commonly Affect Veterans Aged 55–64?

Veterans aged 55 to 64 often file VA claims for conditions that have worsened with age, conditions that have developed as a result of an already service-connected condition, and conditions VA may consider presumptive based on when and where the veteran served.

Age-Worsened Conditions

Many veterans aged 55–64 suffer from service-connected disabilities that have only gotten worse over time. In cases like these, veterans can pursue higher disability ratings from VA that reflect their condition’s new, worsened state.

“If VA has already granted you service connection and rated your condition and it’s now worse today, the term to keep in mind is ‘increased rating,’” says Maura Black. “You can file an increased rating claim using VA Form 21-526EZ. Medical records showing that worsening will carry your argument.”

Some common conditions veterans may be able to file increased rating claims for include:

• Hearing loss
• Sleep apnea
• Back, knee, and other orthopedic issues
• Mental health conditions like depression or anxiety

Secondary Conditions

Veterans can pursue secondary service connection when their service-connected conditions cause or worsen new, separate conditions. In situations like this, veterans can earn disability ratings for these secondary conditions that help contribute to their overall disability percentage rating.

“One service-connected condition often causes or aggravates another over time,” says Maura Black. “If you already have a rated condition, it’s worth researching what that condition is known to lead to because any second conditions that you suffer as a result may also be compensable.”

Secondary service connection claims often hinge on the quality of the medical nexus opinion veterans obtain during the evidence gathering process. These nexus opinions are provided by doctors and other medical professionals and serve as the bridge that explains how a veteran’s primary condition may have led to their secondary one.

The table below lists common primary conditions that veterans aged 55–64 suffer from, as well as the secondary conditions they often lead to and the nature of the medical nexus connecting the two:

Primary service-connected condition	Secondary conditions commonly linked to this primary condition	What information the medical nexus opinion should include
PTSD, depression, or anxiety	Sleep apnea; hypertension; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); migraines; erectile dysfunction; irritable bowel syndrome	Medical evidence that the psychiatric condition, or the medication prescribed for it, caused or worsened the second condition.
Sleep apnea	Hypertension; depression and anxiety; cognitive and memory complaints; worsening of an existing heart condition	Evidence tying untreated or poorly controlled apnea to the later condition, often supported by a sleep study and treatment records.
Tinnitus and hearing loss	Depression and anxiety; insomnia; headaches and migraines	Evidence that the auditory condition disrupts sleep, concentration, or mood, usually through a mental health evaluation.
Diabetes mellitus, type II	Peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities; diabetic retinopathy; diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease; erectile dysfunction; peripheral artery disease	Treatment records documenting the complication and a clinician linking it to the diabetes.
Knee, ankle, or hip condition	The opposite knee or hip; lumbar spine strain or degenerative changes; plantar fasciitis; depression associated with chronic pain	An altered gait or overcompensation opinion, which is why range-of-motion and gait findings from C&P exams matter.
Lumbar or cervical spine condition	Radiculopathy of the sciatic or upper radicular nerve; bowel or bladder impairment; depression associated with chronic pain	Imaging plus neurological findings. Radiculopathy is rated separately from the spine itself.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)	Migraines; depression and anxiety; cognitive impairment; seizure disorder; vision and balance disturbance; tinnitus	Whether a symptom is a residual of the TBI or a separately ratable condition. The distinction changes the combined rating.
Hypertension or heart disease	Chronic kidney disease; stroke residuals; erectile dysfunction	Whether the cardiovascular condition, rather than age or unrelated risk factors, caused or aggravated the later condition.
Any condition treated with long-term NSAIDs or opioids	GERD; peptic ulcer disease; chronic kidney disease; constipation and other gastrointestinal effects	Pharmacy records showing the medication, the dates, and the dose, paired with an opinion on medication-induced injury.
Rhinitis, sinusitis, or deviated septum	Sleep apnea; headaches	An opinion addressing airway obstruction. This pathway is frequently denied without a specific nexus opinion.

Presumptive Conditions

Presumptive conditions are those VA will automatically recognize as service connected, as long as the veteran served in a qualifying time and place. Veterans aged 55 to 64 may qualify for presumptions tied to service in the Gulf War or from exposure to military burn pits.

For Gulf War veterans, VA generally recognizes three types of presumptive conditions connected to their service:

• Undiagnosed illnesses
• Medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses (MUCMIs)
• Infectious diseases

Under the PACT Act, veterans exposed to military burn pits may be eligible for presumptions for conditions including:

• Chronic bronchitis
• COPD
• Emphysema
• Cancers of several different types
• Interstitial lung disease

What VA Benefits and Rules Are Especially Relevant to Veterans Aged 55–64?

Veterans aged 55 to 64 who cannot work due to service-connected condition(s), have been retired from the military for a certain amount of time, or have combat-related injuries may qualify for these VA benefits:

Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)

Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is a form of monthly compensation for veterans whose service-connected conditions prevent them from “substantially gainful” employment (i.e., generally defined as employment that provides income above the federal poverty threshold, with exceptions for protected work environments).

TDIU provides monthly compensation at the 100 percent rate, even if the veteran’s actual disability rating is below 100 percent. For veterans whose conditions hinder their ability to work, this benefit can go a long way toward ensuring financial stability.

Regulations generally prevent VA from taking a veteran’s age or retirement status into account when evaluating them for TDIU. This means veterans aged 55 to 64 who are retired or approaching retirement may still qualify for TDIU.

Watch CCK Law Partners Emma Peterson and Christine Clemens guide veterans through pursuing TDIU claims in 2026:

The 55-Year-Old Rule Protects Against Unnecessary Reexaminations

The 55-year-old rule limits routine periodic reexaminations after a veteran reaches age 55. VA’s internal manual implementing the regulation is slightly more generous than the regulation itself.

• “In service-connected cases, no periodic reexamination will be scheduled: …. In cases of veterans over 55 years of age, except under unusual circumstances.” (38 CFR § 3.327(b)(2))
• “If the Veteran will have reached or surpassed age 55 by the time the reexamination is conducted, then do not schedule the reexamination unless required to do so by specific regulation, or compelled to do so based on unusual circumstances.” (M21-1, Part IV, Subpart ii, Chapter 1, Section A)

Concurrent Retired and Disability Pay (CRDP)

Veterans who are eligible for disability compensation and military retired pay at the same time typically must waive part or all of that retired pay to comply with the government’s “double dipping” laws. However, CRDP allows veterans to eliminate this waiver and receive full disability and military retired pay simultaneously.

For veterans who are eligible for military retired pay, CRDP can offer a substantial financial benefit. To qualify, veterans must meet the following criteria:

• Be receiving military retired pay as well as VA disability compensation;
• Be a 20-year (or more) retiree, though certain early (TERA) and eligible Chapter 61 disability retirees also qualify; and
• Have a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or more.

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is another way veterans can receive their full military retired pay alongside their VA disability compensation. CRSC is reserved, however, for veterans who have one or more combat-related injuries.

To qualify for CRSC, veterans must meet the following criteria:

• Be a military retiree who is entitled to or receiving military retired pay;
• Be rated at least 10 percent disabled by VA for a combat-related disability; and
• Have their military retired pay being currently offset by their VA disability compensation.

A veteran’s combat-related disability must be at a compensable level (i.e., 10 percent or higher) to qualify for CRSC. If they qualify, they will receive an additional check each month from their former branch of service to offset the VA waiver.

A veteran may not have to actually see combat in order to qualify for CRSC. If their combat-related disability happened during training that simulated war, for instance, they may be eligible for CRSC.

How Do You File an Increased VA Disability Rating Claim After Age 55?

Filing for an increased VA disability rating after age 55 uses the same process as at any other age: submitting VA Form 21-526EZ alongside evidence supporting that a service-connected condition now meets a higher level in the VA rating schedule.

Veterans should consider taking these steps:

1. File an Intent to File first — An Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) preserves an earlier effective date and gives veterans up to one year to gather evidence before filing the claim. If the claim succeeds, this can then lead to increased back pay.
2. Measure symptoms against the next rating level — Veterans should identify the diagnostic code VA used to rate their condition in the past and see if their worsened symptoms correspond with the requirements of the next highest rating level.
3. Date the evidence to the worsening — If possible, veterans should submit medical evidence that indicates when their condition began to worsen. Treatment records, a Disability Benefits Questionnaire from a treating physician, and lay statements can help establish this date. A rating increase can be effective up to one year before the claim was filed as long as the worsening is factually ascertainable, potentially leading to higher back pay.
4. Claim the complications, not only the original condition — A worsening knee, psychiatric, or endocrine condition often brings a second disability with it, filed as a claim for secondary service connection.
5. Consider whether TDIU applies — If the condition has ended the veteran’s ability to work, TDIU may apply. This benefit pays at the 100 percent rate even if the veteran lacks a 100 percent schedular rating.

Veterans should also note that filing an increased rating claim does put the rating in front of a rating specialist again, and VA may subsequently order a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam to determine the severity of the condition firsthand.

Watch CCK Law Partner Michael Lostritto and VA-Accredited Claims Advocate Claire Babcock explain how to file an increased rating claim with VA:

What Evidence Can I Use To Support My Disability Claim?

In addition to service records and medical documentation, veterans may also find success submitting lay evidence and/or buddy statements to support their disability claim. These are generally personal accounts of the veteran’s friends, family, or fellow service members attesting to the cause or severity of the veteran’s condition.

For veterans aged 55 to 64, lay evidence may be particularly valuable, since official military records from the 1990s or earlier can sometimes be difficult to locate and obtain.

In cases like these, it may help to seek lay statements that speak to the worsening of a veteran’s condition over time, or — if service connection has not yet been established — ones that can support the veteran’s claim that their disability had an in-service cause or aggressor.

Did VA Deny Your Disability Claim? Contact CCK Law

Frequently Asked Questions

How does TDIU work for veterans who can no longer work due to a worsening service-connected condition?

Veterans may still qualify for TDIU even if their inability to work was caused by a worsening condition rather than a new one. Under 38 CFR § 4.16(a), the schedular path to obtaining TDIU requires one disability rated at 60 percent or more, or a combined rating of 70 percent or more with at least one disability rated at 40 percent or more. VA may also consider TDIU on an extraschedular basis, where a veteran does not meet those percentages but still cannot work due to service-connected disabilities. Veterans can apply for TDIU by submitting VA Form 21-8940 to VA.

Is TDIU eligibility affected by retirement age or receiving Social Security?

No. Under 38 CFR § 4.19, VA may not consider age as a factor in evaluating a service-connected disability, and unemployability associated purely with advancing age (as opposed to service-connected conditions) may not be used as the basis for a total disability rating. Social Security retirement or disability benefits also do not disqualify a veteran from TDIU. While an SSA disability determination and the records behind it are evidence VA considers, they do not bind VA, which applies its own standard.

What happens to my VA rating if I take a civilian job after retiring from the military?

A typical schedular VA rating should not be reduced on this basis alone. Schedular VA ratings are based on the severity of the disability rather than on earnings, so taking a civilian job does not by itself reduce it. TDIU is different, because it rests on an inability to work. Under 38 CFR § 3.343(c), VA may discontinue TDIU if a veteran secures “substantially gainful employment,” but it may not reduce the rating on that basis unless the veteran maintains the occupation for 12 consecutive months, and actual employability must be established by clear and convincing evidence.