Contact Dermatitis — 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 Contact Dermatitis
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960F-2 (Skin Diseases) — 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 Contact Dermatitis — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Contact Dermatitis, 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 Skin
General rating schedule for skinconditions. Your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
No more than topical therapy required during the past 12 months
At least 5% but less than 20% of the entire body, or exposed areas affected
At least 20% but less than 40% of the entire body or exposed areas, or systemic therapy
40% or more of the entire body, or exposed areas, or constant/near-constant systemic therapy
Will adding Contact Dermatitis 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 Contact Dermatitis 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.
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 2013 · PMID 24109145
Finding: Skin complaints account for up to 25% of medical consultations by military personnel during tropical deployments, and the review explicitly lists contact dermatitis among the common non-infectious deployment-related skin diseases, alongside sunburn, heat rash and arthropod bites.
Why it helps: Supports an association between deployment conditions and contact dermatitis, helping show that a veteran's skin condition can be tied to the environment and exposures of military service.
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 2023 · PMID 36749448
Finding: This critical review reports that occupational hand dermatitis remains highly prevalent among workers, with irritant contact dermatitis from wet-work exposure being the most common cause, and identifies metal workers and other hands-on trades as particularly high-risk groups.
Why it helps: Supports an association between hands-on occupational exposures (common in military trades involving wet work, solvents and metals) and contact dermatitis, useful for framing a service-related occupational origin.
British Journal of Dermatology, 2024 · PMID 38061005
Finding: Across 24 years of surveillance data, 2,374 cases (12% of all reported occupational contact dermatitis) were attributed to nickel, chromium or cobalt, concentrated in manufacturing, construction and metalworking occupations, confirming metal exposure as a recognized occupational cause of contact dermatitis.
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational metal exposure and contact dermatitis, relevant to service members in metalworking, construction, machinery and equipment-handling roles.
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 2018 · PMID 29641698
Finding: Of 1,386 patch-tested patients, 438 (32%) reacted positively to a metal, and most chromium sensitization (64%) was occupationally related, in contrast to nickel and cobalt, underscoring chromium as a strongly work-linked contact allergen.
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational chromium exposure (e.g., cement, leather, metals) and allergic contact dermatitis, helpful for tying a veteran's condition to a specific service occupation.
Contact Dermatitis, 2018 · PMID 29923205
Finding: Among 311 healthcare workers with hand eczema, 62% had occupational hand eczema and 11% had occupational allergic contact dermatitis (mostly glove-related rubber contact allergy); contact allergy to rubber additives was significantly more common with hand eczema (6% vs 1%) and was linked to eczema-related sick leave.
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational glove/rubber exposure and allergic contact dermatitis, relevant to medical, maintenance and protective-equipment-heavy military roles.
Contact Dermatitis, 2017 · nexus to chronic venous insufficiency / stasis dermatitis / chronic leg ulcers · PMID 28194803
Finding: Among 5,264 patients with lower-leg dermatitis, chronic venous insufficiency or leg ulcers, allergic contact dermatitis was diagnosed in roughly 17-26%, with frequent sensitization to topical treatment ingredients such as balsam of Peru (14.8%), fragrance mix I (11.4%), lanolin alcohol (7.8%) and neomycin (5.0%).
Why it helps: Supports an association between chronic venous/circulatory leg conditions and their topical treatments and secondary contact dermatitis, useful when contact dermatitis develops on top of a service-connected venous or wound condition.
Advances in Skin & Wound Care, 2016 · nexus to chronic wounds / topical medications and dressings · PMID 27171256
Finding: This literature review found contact dermatitis to wound-care products is common (about 80% irritant, 20% allergic), and that frequent use of potential allergens combined with impaired skin barrier in chronic wounds drives rising sensitization, with common culprits being fragrances, colophony, lanolin and topical antibiotics.
Why it helps: Supports an association between treatment of a service-connected wound or skin condition (topical medications, dressings, adhesives) and secondary contact dermatitis.
American Journal of Contact Dermatitis, 2003 · nexus to limb amputation / prosthesis use · PMID 14744411
Finding: This case report documents allergic contact dermatitis on the residual limb caused by an adhesive in a myoelectric prosthesis, and notes that prosthesis users commonly develop residual-limb skin problems where prolonged occlusion and humidity promote contact sensitivity to prosthetic materials, medicaments and creams.
Why it helps: Illustrates an association between prosthesis use after amputation and residual-limb contact dermatitis; relevant as a secondary claim for veterans with service-connected amputations, though it is a single case report rather than a large study.
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.
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Contact Dermatitis as a Secondary Condition
Contact Dermatitis is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Contact Dermatitisclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Contact Dermatitis should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
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Health care
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Where you live
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Home buying
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Draft your Contact Dermatitis 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 Contact Dermatitis VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Contact Dermatitis evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Contact Dermatitis Claim Guide by State
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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.