VA back pay and effective dates: how VA picks your start date

Short answer: your VA back pay ("retro pay") depends on one date, your effective date. VA's general rule is the later of (a) the date VA received your claim or (b) the date your entitlement arose (38 CFR 3.400). Payment then starts the first day of the next month (38 CFR 3.31). Everything below comes from those rules and VA's own pages; we checked them Oct 15, 2026.

How VA sets the effective date

Your situation	Effective date (general rule)	Where it says so
Claim received within 1 year after separation (direct service connection)	The day after you separated (or the date entitlement arose)	38 CFR 3.400(b)(2)(i); VA effective dates
Presumptive condition (for example PACT Act), claim received within 1 year after separation	Date entitlement arose	38 CFR 3.400(b)(2)(ii)
Claim filed more than 1 year after separation	Date VA received the claim, or date entitlement arose, whichever is later	38 CFR 3.400(b)(2)
You filed an intent to file and finished the claim within 1 year	Your intent-to-file date	VA: intent to file
Claim for an increase (condition got worse)	Earliest date it's "factually ascertainable" the increase happened, if a complete claim or intent to file arrives within 1 year of that date; otherwise the date VA received the claim	38 CFR 3.400(o)(2)
You disagreed and filed a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review or Board appeal within 1 year of the decision notice	Tied back to your original claim ("continuous pursuit")	38 CFR 3.2500(h)
Supplemental Claim filed more than 1 year after the decision notice	Date entitlement arose, but no earlier than the date VA received the Supplemental Claim	38 CFR 3.2500(h)(2)

Example from VA: you submit an intent to file on April 2 and file the claim on July 15. The effective date is April 2 (VA's own example). Under 38 CFR 3.31, payment for that award can't start before May 1.

Online filers: VA says that if you start your disability claim online, your intent-to-file date is set automatically the day you start, as long as you submit within 365 days (How to file).

The 3 deadlines that cost people the most money

1 year after separation. File (or at least start online, or submit an intent to file) inside this window and your effective date can reach back to the day after you got out. Miss it and the date is generally when VA gets your claim. Better still, file a BDD claim before you separate.
1 year after an intent to file. If you don't finish the claim in a year, the intent to file expires and stops protecting your date.
1 year after a decision. Disagree within a year to keep your original date. After that, a Supplemental Claim starts a new, later date.

Back pay month counter (estimate)

Effective date (from your decision letter, or your intent-to-file date) Decision date Your monthly rate, optional (from the pay chart)

Rough estimate only. It assumes one flat monthly rate. VA's rates change every Dec. 1 (VA lists past-year tables), ratings can change partway through, and VA may withhold money (for example to recoup separation pay). Your exact retro amount is on your VA decision letter and payment history.

After the decision: when the money shows up

VA says that if your decision notice shows at least a 10% rating, you'll get your first payment within 15 days, by direct deposit or check (After you get a rating). If nothing arrives after 15 days, call VA at 800-827-1000.
Rated 0%? A 0% (noncompensable) rating pays nothing monthly, but it still sets service connection and an effective date if the condition gets worse later.
Back pay looks wrong? Compare the effective date on your decision letter with the table above. If you think it's wrong, you have 1 year from the decision notice to request a decision review. Get free help from an accredited VSO rep first.

Back pay for dependents

Under 38 CFR 3.401(b), extra pay for a spouse or child can go back to your rating's effective date if VA gets proof of the dependent within 1 year of being notified of the rating. A marriage, birth or adoption reported within 1 year of the event can go back to the date of the event. Waiting longer than a year generally costs you those months. Dependent pay only applies at 30% and up (see the pay chart).

Watch out: VA's own decision letter controls. Never pay anyone to file your first claim; accredited VSO reps help for free.

Official sources

Last checked Oct 15, 2026. Rules and rates change; the official source wins. Not legal or financial advice. Free help: an accredited VSO rep. Never pay anyone to file a first claim. In crisis? Dial 988, then press 1.