The Playbook › Step 7 of 7: Raise and protect your rating
VA can lower a disability rating if medical evidence shows the condition has improved. It cannot do so quietly or casually. The law requires advance notice, a chance to respond, and, the longer a rating has been in place, stronger and stronger proof.
Knowing these rules takes much of the fear out of a re-examination letter.
The short version
- VA must send a proposed reduction before cutting a rating that would lower your pay.
- You have 60 days to send evidence and 30 days to ask for a hearing.
- After 5 years, a rating can be reduced only for sustained improvement.
- After 10 years, service connection itself cannot be taken away, except for fraud.
- After 20 years, the rating cannot go below its lowest level in that period, except for fraud.
On this page
When VA re-examines
VA may schedule a routine future examination when it thinks a condition is likely to improve. It generally does not schedule one when:
- The disability is static, such as an amputation
- The condition has not improved over five years or more
- The disability is permanent and unlikely to improve
- You are over 55, except in unusual circumstances
- The rating is already the minimum for that condition
- Lowering that one rating would not change your combined rating
A re-examination notice is not a reduction. But go to the exam. Failing to attend a re-examination without good cause can itself lead to a reduction or suspension of benefits.
The protections
| How long the rating has been in place | Protection |
|---|---|
| Any length | VA must show actual improvement in your ability to function under the ordinary conditions of life and work, based on a thorough exam |
| 5 years or more at the same level | The rating is “stabilized.” VA needs evidence of sustained improvement, not one good exam. The exam must be at least as full and complete as the one that set the rating. |
| 10 years or more of service connection | Service connection cannot be severed unless it was based on fraud or you did not have qualifying service |
| 20 years or more at or above a level | The rating cannot be reduced below that level, except for fraud |
| 100% ratings | VA must show material improvement under the ordinary conditions of life, not simply improvement while resting or not working |
| Permanent and Total | No routine re-exams. See P&T. |
How the reduction process works
- VA gets evidence of improvement, usually from a re-exam or from an exam for a claim you filed.
- VA sends a proposed reduction with the reasons and the evidence.
- You have 60 days to submit evidence showing the reduction should not happen.
- You have 30 days to request a predetermination hearing. If you request it in time, VA will not reduce your pay until after the hearing.
- VA issues a final decision. If it reduces, the lower pay starts at the end of the month in which a further 60-day period expires.
If the reduction would not lower your overall compensation, for example because your combined rating stays the same, VA is not required to send advance notice.
What to do if you get a proposed reduction
Act immediately. The clock starts on the date of the letter.
- Request the hearing within 30 days, in writing. This keeps your pay at its current level while the matter is pending.
- Get the exam report VA relied on. Ask your VSO or request your C-file.
- Look for flaws. Was the exam as thorough as your original? Did the examiner review your file? Did they catch you on a good day? Does the report say you have improved under ordinary conditions of life, or only on the day?
- Get your own medical evidence. See your doctor promptly. A current DBQ or a letter stating your condition has not improved is the strongest response.
- Write a statement describing your current symptoms and limits, and get buddy statements.
- Point to the protections that apply, especially the 5-year rule.
- Get help. A VSO, accredited agent, or attorney can respond for you. See who can help.
Common flaws in reductions
- Relying on a single exam for a rating in place more than five years
- An exam less thorough than the one that set the rating
- No finding that improvement will be maintained under ordinary conditions
- Ignoring treatment records that show ongoing symptoms
- For conditions that come and go, catching you between episodes
- Treating improvement on medication as improvement in the condition
A reduction made without following the required process can be void, which means the original rating is restored.
If the reduction goes through
You can challenge it like any other decision: a Higher-Level Review if VA did not follow its own rules, a Supplemental Claim if you have new medical evidence, or a Board Appeal. You have one year. See what to do after a denial. You can also file for an increase later if the condition worsens.
How to protect your rating day to day
- Keep getting treatment. Long gaps in care can look like recovery.
- Be accurate with your doctors. Notes saying “doing well” with no detail can be used against you. Describe your actual symptoms at every visit.
- Go to every exam.
- Think before filing new claims if a current rating might be vulnerable.
- Keep your address current with VA so you never miss a deadline.
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.