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When your claim is finally approved, the VA pays you retroactively to your effective date. Estimate how much back pay you're owed.
Sources: 38 CFR 3.31 (effective date), VA.gov compensation rates
Enter your effective date to estimate your back pay.
Estimate only. It applies current (2026) rates across the whole period; actual back pay uses the rate in effect each year (lower in prior years), so your real amount may be somewhat less. Dependents, SMC, and rating changes over time also affect the total. The VA sets your effective date.
Your effective date is usually the date you filed your claim — or your Intent to File, if you submitted one first (which is why filing an ITF early matters). When the VA finally rates you, it owes you every month of compensation from that date forward. Payments start the first of the month afteryour effective date (38 CFR 3.31). A claim that takes a year to decide can mean a five-figure lump sum.