Veterans May Have Been Underpaid for Joint Disabilities

A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) found widespread errors in how the Veterans Benefits Administration evaluated certain musculoskeletal joint disabilities, resulting in an estimated $45 million or more in underpayments to veterans.

The report, issued on August 6, 2026, focused on claims involving joint disabilities that VA evaluated as noncompensable, or 0%, despite evidence of painful motion.

For veterans with conditions affecting the knees, shoulders, hips, ankles, wrists, and other joints, the findings highlight the importance of understanding how painful motion can affect a VA disability rating, and what can happen when a disability is evaluated incorrectly.

What Did the VA OIG Find?

The VA OIG reviewed how the Veterans Benefits Administration handled noncompensable musculoskeletal joint disabilities between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

According to the report, claims processors incorrectly evaluated joint disabilities involving painful motion approximately 50% of the time.

The OIG estimated that approximately 64,000 joint disabilities were incorrectly assigned a noncompensable rating during the period reviewed.

Not every error affected a veteran’s monthly compensation. However, the OIG estimated that approximately 24,000 of those errors resulted in underpayments, creating a monetary impact of at least $45 million.

The review also found evidence that similar errors continued beyond the original review period. When the OIG examined additional cases as of November 2025, it found that VBA was still experiencing similar problems when evaluating noncompensable joint disabilities.

Read the official VA announcement here.

Why Painful Motion Can Matter for a VA Disability Rating

A veteran does not necessarily need to demonstrate severe limitation of motion for a joint disability to qualify for compensation.

VA regulations recognize painful motion as an important factor when evaluating joint disabilities. Depending on the circumstances, a painful joint associated with a service-connected disability may warrant at least the minimum compensable rating for that joint.

The OIG found that claims processors sometimes failed to properly apply these requirements.

As a result, some veterans received 0% ratings when the evidence supported compensable evaluations.

Could an Incorrect Joint Rating Lead to VA Back Pay?

Potentially.

If VA determines that a veteran should have received a compensable disability rating during an earlier period, correcting the rating could result in retroactive compensation.

How much back pay may be owed depends on the circumstances of the individual claim, including the correct disability rating, effective date, other service-connected disabilities, and the amount of compensation the veteran already received during the affected period.

This is also why an apparently small rating error can sometimes have a larger impact. Changing the evaluation of one disability may affect a veteran’s overall combined VA disability rating and, in some cases, the monthly compensation the veteran should have received.

There is no fixed maximum for VA back pay. In cases where an incorrect rating or effective date affected benefits for an extended period, retroactive compensation can become substantial.

Which Veterans Could Be Affected?

The OIG report specifically examined musculoskeletal joint disabilities evaluated at 0% where painful motion was documented.

That may include disabilities involving joints such as the knees, shoulders, hips, ankles, wrists, elbows, and other areas of the musculoskeletal system.

The report does not mean that every veteran with a 0% joint rating was evaluated incorrectly. A noncompensable rating may be appropriate depending on the medical evidence and applicable rating criteria.

However, veterans with service-connected joint conditions who experience painful motion may want to understand how VA reached the evaluation shown in their rating decision.

What Is the VA Doing About the Errors?

The VA OIG made recommendations aimed at correcting the problems identified in its review and improving how these disabilities are evaluated.

The findings are significant because the review did not identify only isolated mistakes. The OIG estimated that errors occurred in approximately half of the joint disability evaluations covered by its review.

For veterans, the report is another reminder that a VA rating decision is not necessarily the final word on whether a disability was evaluated correctly.

Reviewing a VA Disability Decision

A veteran reviewing a VA decision involving a joint disability may want to pay particular attention to the medical evidence VA considered, whether painful motion was documented, the percentage assigned to the disability, and the effective date of the award.

If an evaluation is later corrected, the effective date can become especially important because it helps determine whether additional retroactive compensation may be owed.

Need Help with Your VA Disability Claim?

At Stevens & Sullivan, we represent veterans in VA disability claims and appeals, including cases involving incorrect disability evaluations, effective dates, and retroactive benefits.

If you believe VA may have incorrectly evaluated a service-connected disability, contact our office today at 404-467-9017 to schedule a consultation or complete a Free Case Evaluation to learn how we can help with your VA disability claim.