The VA Benefits Library

AVOY  /  The VA Benefits Library

Reference Collection

The VA Benefits Library

Seventeen volumes on veterans’ disability benefits, arranged in four collections — from filing a first claim through appeals, compensation, and the benefits owed to surviving families. Every volume is published as a PDF edition for immediate download, and in print and Kindle editions on Amazon as each is released.

Not sure which volume you need? The Reference Desk lists the questions veterans and families ask most often — and points each one to the book that answers it.

Collection I

Claims & Approval

VA 100 · 5 volumes

Filing, evidence, and the path to a first decision. The foundation of the library; begin here if no claim has yet been filed.

VA Disability Claims for Beginners

Collection I · Volume 1

VA Disability Claims for Beginners

An introduction to the claims system for the first-time filer. The four theories of service connection, the evidence a first claim requires, the eight beginner misunderstandings that produce denials, and how to read a decision letter.

PDF editionDownload · $10.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
How to File a Winning VA Disability Claim

Collection I · Volume 2

How to File a Winning VA Disability Claim

The construction of a rater-ready submission. The three pillars of an approved claim, the six required elements of a qualified-doctor nexus letter, the five-section personal statement, and the eight-element submission package.

PDF editionDownload · $14.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
Common VA Claim Mistakes

Collection I · Volume 3

Common VA Claim Mistakes

Fifteen preventable filing errors, each paired with its remedy. The three failures behind most denials, the cost of filing under the wrong theory of connection, and the one-year response window.

PDF editionDownload · $11.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
VA Disability Power Plays

Collection I · Volume 5

VA Disability Power Plays

Companion volume. Forty-eight strategic procedures distilled from Volumes 1–4: consolidated submission, the intent-to-file window, theory stacking, and the rater’s reading sequence.

PDF editionDownload · $20.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
Collected edition — Collection IAll 5 volumes as a single download — $71.95 separately, 30% less together.
Acquire the collection · $50.37 →

Collection II

Ratings & Compensation

VA 200 · 5 volumes

What a rating means and what it pays. Rating computation, increases, retroactive compensation, and the protection rules.

VA Disability Ratings Guide

Collection II · Volume 1

VA Disability Ratings Guide

What a percentage means in dollars. The 0–100 scale and what each tier unlocks, combined-rating arithmetic and the bilateral factor at 38 CFR 4.26, Permanent and Total status, TDIU, and Special Monthly Compensation.

PDF editionDownload · $17.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating

Collection II · Volume 2

How to Increase Your VA Disability Rating

Raising a rating without endangering the one already held. The seven-step increase file, the one-year look-back at 38 CFR 3.400(o), the five-, ten-, and twenty-year protection rules, and the examination for increases.

PDF editionDownload · $19.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
VA Compensation and Back Pay Guide

Collection II · Volume 3

VA Compensation and Back Pay Guide

Computing what is owed. The compensation table by rating, dependents, and SMC; effective dates and retroactive windows; the intent-to-file anchor at VA Form 21-0966; and the pension-versus-compensation distinction.

PDF editionDownload · $17.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
VA Survivor Benefits & Family Compensation Guide

Collection II · Volume 4

VA Survivor Benefits & Family Compensation Guide

Benefits owed to a veteran’s family. DIC eligibility and rates, the 38 U.S.C. 1318 pathway, Parents’ DIC, CHAMPVA compared with TRICARE, the Chapter 35 election, and the fifty-five-year remarriage rule.

PDF editionDownload · $14.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
VA Compensation Power Plays

Collection II · Volume 5

VA Compensation Power Plays

Companion volume. Forty-eight procedures distilled from the Collection II volumes, each contrasting common practice against the practice of high-performing claimants.

PDF editionDownload · $20.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
Collected edition — Collection IIAll 5 volumes as a single download — $91.95 separately, 30% less together.
Acquire the collection · $64.37 →

Collection III

Appeals & Advanced Strategy

VA 300 · 5 volumes

After a denial or an inadequate rating. Review lanes, secondary conditions, mental health claims, and maximization.

The VA Disability Appeal Guide

Collection III · Volume 1

The VA Disability Appeal Guide

The three review paths that never leave the VA. Higher-Level Review, the Supplemental Claim, and the Board Appeal; reading a denial for its actual reason; the one-year window protecting the effective date; and citing published Board decisions as evidence.

PDF editionDownload · $20.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
Secondary Conditions VA Claims Guide

Collection III · Volume 2

Secondary Conditions VA Claims Guide

Conditions caused or aggravated by an established service-connected disability. The standard at 38 CFR 3.310, the two grounds for a grant, the secondary nexus letter, the common condition chains, and the effect of stacking on a combined rating.

PDF editionDownload · $19.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
PTSD & Mental Health VA Claims Guide

Collection III · Volume 3

PTSD & Mental Health VA Claims Guide

Mental-health claims and the two tracks they run on. The four stressor categories and the benefit-of-the-doubt rule, VA Form 21-0781, military sexual trauma proven under the markers rule, the examination, and TDIU.

PDF editionDownload · $21.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
Maximize Your VA Benefits: The Complete Guide

Collection III · Volume 4

Maximize Your VA Benefits: The Complete Guide

The compensation that sits above the rating schedule. Combined-rating arithmetic and the bilateral factor, Special Monthly Compensation K through R, TDIU, Permanent and Total status with its protection rules, and effective dates.

PDF editionDownload · $25.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
VA Strategy Power Plays

Collection III · Volume 5

VA Strategy Power Plays

Companion volume. Forty-eight procedures distilled from the Collection III volumes, covering appeals, secondary conditions, mental-health documentation, and maximization.

PDF editionDownload · $20.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming
Collected edition — Collection IIIAll 5 volumes as a single download — $109.95 separately, 30% less together.
Acquire the collection · $76.97 →

Collection IV

Special Subjects

VA 400 · 2 volumes

Distinct bodies of law and eligibility: toxic exposure under the PACT Act, and benefits held outside the United States.

Burn Pits, Agent Orange & the PACT Act

Collection IV · Volume 1

Burn Pits, Agent Orange & the PACT Act

Toxic-exposure claims and the presumptions that govern them. Covered service eras and locations including Thailand, the DMZ, Guam, and Blue Water Navy; reading the live VA presumptive list; Gulf War illness; the free exposure screening; and survivor benefits.

PDF editionDownload · $25.99
Print editionAmazon
Kindle editionAmazon
VA Benefits Abroad: The Expat Veteran's Guide

Collection IV · Volume 2

VA Benefits Abroad: The Expat Veteran's Guide

Benefits carried across an international border. International direct deposit, the Foreign Medical Program, CHAMPVA and DIC for families overseas, tax treatment abroad, and the ten most common expatriate destinations.

PDF editionDownload · $14.99
Print editionForthcoming
Kindle editionForthcoming

Companion Set

Power Plays

The action layer · 3 volumes

The three companion volumes gathered together — one from each of Collections I, II, and III. One hundred forty-four insider procedures, each with a quick action checklist and a reference back to the full volume where the mechanics are explained.

Power Plays Bundle — All 3 CompanionsVolumes I.5, II.5 and III.5 as a single download — $62.97 separately, 30% less together.
Acquire the companion set · $44.08 →

The Complete Collection

VA Benefits Mastery Library

All seventeen volumes, Collections I through IV, in a single acquisition — $314.83 purchased separately, 30% less together.

Acquire the complete library · $220.38

Print and Kindle editions are published on Amazon. Volumes marked Forthcoming are presently available in the PDF edition only. Looking for a specific answer? Start at the Reference Desk.