Bell's Palsy — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Bell's Palsy
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960C-3 (Cranial Nerve Conditions) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Bell's Palsy — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Bell's Palsy, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Bell's Palsy
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8207 (seventh (facial) cranial nerve). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Incomplete, moderate paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve.
Incomplete, severe paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve.
Complete paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve. Ratings are dependent upon the relative loss of innervation of the facial muscles.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Bell's Palsy raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Bell's Palsy claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
- Diabetes Mellitus and Bell's PalsySecondary
Current Diabetes Reviews, 2023 · nexus to diabetes mellitus · PMID 35260056
Finding: This focused review reports that the risk of Bell's palsy is increased in people with diabetes mellitus, and that diabetic patients who develop Bell's palsy are more prone to severe facial nerve degeneration, more marked subclinical electrophysiological impairment, more frequent blink-reflex abnormalities, and a higher rate of recurrent/alternating episodes.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected diabetes and Bell's palsy, and indicates that facial-nerve damage tends to be more severe in diabetics, which is useful context for a secondary-service-connection theory.
Scientific Reports, 2021 · nexus to diabetes mellitus, hypertension · PMID 34862431
Finding: In a population-based cohort of 2,708 Bell's palsy patients drawn from national insurance data (2006-2015), multivariate Cox regression identified hypertension and diabetes (along with male sex and advanced age) as statistically significant independent risk factors for Bell's palsy.
Why it helps: Large population data supporting an association between two common service-connected metabolic conditions (hypertension and diabetes) and the later occurrence of Bell's palsy, helpful for a secondary-nexus argument.
Medicine (Baltimore), 2019 · nexus to migraine / headache · PMID 31124964
Finding: In a matched longitudinal cohort (45,164 migraine patients vs 180,656 controls), migraine was associated with an increased risk of Bell palsy (adjusted hazard ratio 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33), rising to 1.28 (95% CI 1.05-1.57) among adults aged 30 to under 60.
Why it helps: Migraine/headache is a very commonly service-connected condition; this cohort supports a modest association with later Bell's palsy, relevant when arguing Bell's palsy as secondary to a service-connected migraine disability.
American Family Physician, 2007 · nexus to diabetes mellitus · PMID 17956069
Finding: This clinical review states Bell's palsy is more common in patients with diabetes, notes a common short-term complication of incomplete eyelid closure with resulting dry eye, and a less common long-term complication of permanent facial weakness with muscle contractures; roughly 70-80% of patients recover spontaneously.
Why it helps: An authoritative clinical reference documenting both the diabetes association and the recognized residual complications (dry eye, lasting facial weakness/contracture), useful for supporting a secondary claim and for characterizing residual disability.
- LagophthalmosSecondary
Seminars in Ophthalmology, 2010 · nexus to Bell's palsy · PMID 20590416
Finding: This review identifies facial nerve paralysis as the main cause of paralytic lagophthalmos (incomplete eyelid closure) and names Bell's palsy as the leading cause; the resulting inability to blink and close the eye leads to corneal exposure and excessive tear-film evaporation.
Why it helps: Supports recognizing eye complications such as lagophthalmos, corneal exposure, and dry eye as conditions that can arise secondary to Bell's palsy, relevant for claiming residual eye disability.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011 · nexus to Bell's palsy · PMID 22161401
Finding: This Cochrane systematic review (12 studies, 872 participants) treats motor synkinesis, crocodile tears, and facial spasm as recognized sequelae of Bell's palsy, and found low-quality evidence that tailored facial exercise reduced development of synkinesis in acute cases (risk ratio 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.69).
Why it helps: Establishes that synkinesis and other facial sequelae are recognized complications that can persist after Bell's palsy, useful for documenting residual disability arising secondary to the condition.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Bell's Palsy
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Bell's Palsy. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Filing a Bell's Palsyclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Bell's Palsy should also be looking at:
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Draft your Bell's Palsy personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Bell's Palsy VA Claim
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Bell's Palsy.
Bell's Palsy Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.