What A 30% PTSD Disability Rating Means

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a distressing, shocking, or otherwise traumatic event. Unfortunately, many veterans experience PTSD stemming from their military service. Once you are service-connected for PTSD, VA will assign a disability rating. In doing so, VA will consider the frequency, duration, and severity of your symptoms along with the resulting level of social and occupational impairment.

Criteria that VA will consider for a 30% PTSD rating includes, but is not limited to: “occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).” A 30% PTSD rating is assigned when you demonstrate these symptoms presented in a mild manner, intermittently over time. However, it is important to note that you do not need to have all of these symptoms to qualify for this rating.