Claims help · Back pay
VA Back Pay: How Far Back Does It Go?
How much back pay you receive comes down to a single date on your decision: the effective date. These are the questions Illinois veterans ask most about how that date gets set and how to keep it.
- The basic rule
- Intent to File
- After discharge
- Increases & appeals
Thank you!
A member of our team will reach out within one business day to schedule your free case review.
How Is My Effective Date Set?
Under 38 CFR 3.400, the general rule is whichever comes later: the day the VA received your claim, or the day you became entitled. Your payments begin on the first day of the following month. Back pay covers every month between that start and your first regular deposit.
Can I Get an Earlier Date?
- Intent to File: submit one online, by phone, or on VA Form 21-0966, and your date is held for up to a year while you gather evidence.
- Just separated: a claim filed within one year of discharge can be effective the day after you left service. Soldiers leaving assignments at Rock Island Arsenal and Guard members coming off active orders should keep that window in mind.
- Increases: the date can go back as far as one year before the claim when medical evidence shows the condition worsened during that year.
Will Appealing Cost Me Back Pay?
Not as long as there’s no break. Filing a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review or Board Appeal within a year after each decision usually keeps the original effective date intact. To see how much money is on the line, try our calculator.
Back Pay Q&A: Common Questions
What’s the quickest way to protect my effective date?
Submit an Intent to File today, through VA.gov, by phone, or on VA Form 21-0966.
I separated years ago. Will back pay reach my discharge date?
Usually not, unless you filed within a year after discharge. Otherwise it generally runs from your claim or Intent to File date.
How far back does an increase reach?
As much as one year before the claim, when medical evidence shows the worsening happened within that year.
When do monthly payments begin?
Normally on the first of the month after the effective date.
Illinois Veterans: Get the Rating You Earned
Start with a free, no-obligation case review. It takes about a minute.