Ulcerative Colitis — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
Start a claim for Ulcerative Colitis— free & guided
Step-by-step builder: add this and any related conditions, see the research, and get a package ready for a free VSO. No account needed to start.
The DBQ for Ulcerative Colitis
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960G-3 (Intestinal Conditions (Other Than Surgical or Infectious)) — 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 Ulcerative Colitis — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Ulcerative Colitis, 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 Ulcerative Colitis
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.114, DC 7323 (ulcerative colitis) rated as Crohn’s disease / inflammatory bowel disease, DC 7326. Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Minimal to mild IBD managed with oral or topical agents (other than immunosuppressants/biologics), with recurrent abdominal pain, three or fewer daily episodes of diarrhea, and no signs of systemic toxicity.
Mild to moderate IBD managed with oral and topical agents (other than immunosuppressants/biologics), with recurrent abdominal pain, three or fewer daily episodes of diarrhea, and minimal signs of toxicity.
Moderate IBD managed on an outpatient basis with immunosuppressants or other biologic agents, with recurrent abdominal pain, four to five daily episodes of diarrhea, and intermittent signs of toxicity.
Severe IBD unresponsive to treatment, requiring hospitalization at least once per year, resulting in inability to work or recurrent abdominal pain with at least two of: six or more daily episodes of diarrhea, six or more daily episodes of rectal bleeding, recurrent rectal incontinence, or recurrent abdominal distension.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Ulcerative Colitis 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 Ulcerative Colitis 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.
- Anti-Integrin alphavbeta6 Autoantibodies Are a Novel Biomarker That Antedate Ulcerative ColitisDirect
Gastroenterology, 2023 · PMID 36634824
Finding: Using the PREDICTS cohort drawn from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository (active-duty service members), anti-integrin alphavbeta6 autoantibodies were detectable up to 10 years before a clinical UC diagnosis, with seropositivity rising from 12.2% at 10 years pre-diagnosis to 52.4% at diagnosis versus 2.7% in matched controls. Higher antibody levels also predicted adverse outcomes including hospitalization, colectomy, and biologic escalation.
Why it helps: Supports that the immunologic disease process underlying ulcerative colitis is present and measurable in service members years before symptoms appear, which is relevant to establishing onset of the condition during a period of military service.
World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2007 · PMID 18069751
Finding: This review summarizes consistent evidence that smoking is inversely associated with ulcerative colitis, and that smoking cessation aggravates UC and is associated with onset and worsening of the disease, in contrast to the opposite effect seen in Crohn's disease.
Why it helps: Supports an association between smoking cessation and the onset or worsening of ulcerative colitis, which is relevant for veterans who began or quit smoking during service and developed UC around that time.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2023 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 35894686
Finding: Across 639 IBD patients hospitalized for their disease, roughly 25% met criteria for IBD-related post-traumatic stress (IBD-PTS) and 40% identified a hospitalization as a source of medical trauma; poorly managed in-hospital anxiety and pain increased the odds of developing IBD-PTS by 2- to 4-fold.
Why it helps: Supports an association in which the medical trauma of severe ulcerative colitis and its hospitalizations contributes to post-traumatic stress, relevant when claiming PTSD as secondary to a service-connected gastrointestinal condition.
- Depression and anxiety in inflammatory bowel disease: epidemiology, mechanisms and treatmentSecondary
Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2022 · nexus to depression, anxiety · PMID 35732730
Finding: This review documents that patients with IBD (including ulcerative colitis) have an elevated co-occurrence of depression and anxiety relative to the general population, and outlines bidirectional gut-brain mechanisms by which chronic intestinal inflammation and psychological stress influence each other's onset and course.
Why it helps: Supports an association between ulcerative colitis and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, relevant when claiming a mental health condition as secondary to service-connected UC.
International Journal of Surgery, 2024 · nexus to depression, anxiety, PTSD · PMID 38896866
Finding: In a UK Biobank prospective cohort of 491,131 participants, those with IBD had a significantly higher risk of incident psychiatric disorders overall (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.33) and of substance misuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.00-3.51), with inflammatory blood markers partially mediating the effect.
Why it helps: Supports a temporal association in which inflammatory bowel disease precedes and raises the risk of new psychiatric diagnoses, relevant when claiming depression, anxiety, or PTSD as secondary to service-connected UC.
Gut, 2001 · nexus to colorectal cancer · PMID 11247898
Finding: Pooling 116 studies, the cumulative probability of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis was estimated at 2% by 10 years, 8% by 20 years, and 18% by 30 years of disease duration, with an overall incidence of about 3 cancers per 1,000 patient-years.
Why it helps: Supports a well-established association between long-standing ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer, relevant when claiming colorectal cancer as secondary to service-connected UC.
- Meta-analysis: the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with inflammatory bowel diseaseSecondary
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2013 · nexus to venous thromboembolism (DVT/PE) · PMID 23550660
Finding: Across 11 studies, inflammatory bowel disease was associated with an approximately two-fold increase in venous thromboembolism risk (summary RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.83-2.65), with relative risks near 2.0 for both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease after adjusting for obesity and smoking.
Why it helps: Supports an association between ulcerative colitis and venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), relevant when claiming a clotting event as secondary to service-connected UC.
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 Ulcerative Colitis
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Ulcerative Colitis. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Share this rating breakdown
A free, source-cited infographic of how the VA rates Ulcerative Colitis. Save it and post it, or send it to someone who needs it. No fee, no catch.
Square format, ready for an Instagram or Facebook post.
Open / save the image →Sharing the page link also shows a wide preview card automatically.
Ulcerative Colitis as a Secondary Condition
Ulcerative Colitis is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Ulcerative Colitisclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Ulcerative Colitis should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
Estimate your combined rating →
The VA doesn't add ratings — they use a specific formula. See your combined rating in 30 seconds.
Health care
Estimate your VA Priority Group →
Priority Group 1-8 determines what care you get and what it costs. Service-connected = lower copays, full access.
Where you live
Compare 50 state veteran benefits →
State property tax exemptions for SC vets vary 10x. Some states fully exempt 100%-rated vets, others give nothing.
Home buying
VA home loan + funding fee waiver →
ANY service-connected rating waives the funding fee. On a $400K loan that's ~$8,600 saved.
Draft your Ulcerative Colitis 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 Ulcerative Colitis VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Ulcerative Colitis evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Ulcerative Colitis.
Ulcerative Colitis Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
More free tools
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.