See Your Own VA Data, Straight from VA.gov

Once you have logged into VA.gov with your usual login, your browser is allowed to ask the VA's computers for your data. There are five web addresses you can paste into your browser to see what's on file. No technical knowledge needed. Nothing to install.

One sentence summary: Log in at VA.gov first. Then copy one of the addresses below, paste it into your browser's address bar at the top of the screen, and hit Enter. The page will fill with text showing your data.

How to use this page (3 steps)

  1. Log into VA.gov in another browser window, not this window. Open a new browser window, go to www.va.gov, and sign in the way you normally do (Login.gov, ID.me, or DS Logon). Once you are signed in, leave that window open. Do not close it.
  2. In a new browser window, copy one of the five web addresses below (scroll down). Click the Copy button next to any of the five addresses on this page. Open a new browser window, click in the address bar at the very top, paste, and hit Enter.
  3. Read the page that comes back. You will see a screen of text that looks like a long list with curly braces and quotation marks. Don't worry about the formatting. The labels in quotation marks tell you what each piece of data is. Below, we explain what every important label means.
If you see "401 Unauthorized" or a login screen: you are not signed into VA.gov in this browser. Go to va.gov, sign in, then come back and try again.
Browser tip: Firefox displays this kind of data in a tidy, readable format with collapsible sections. Chrome and Edge show it as one big block of text. Both work, but if you find it hard to read in Chrome, try Firefox. There are also free browser extensions called "JSON Viewer" that make Chrome's output look like Firefox's.

The five web addresses

Each card shows one address, what it tells you, and what to look for in the response.

1. Your service-connected disability ratings

Every condition the VA has rated, with the percentage and effective date.

https://api.va.gov/v0/rated_disabilities
What to look for:
  • "name" or "diagnostic_text": the name of the rated condition
  • "diagnostic_code": the 4-digit VA code. Look it up here to see the rating criteria
  • "rating_percentage": the percent rating (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100)
  • "effective_date": when the rating started. This is the date your back pay was calculated from
  • "decision": usually "Service Connected", "Not Service Connected", or "1151" (treatment-related)
  • If the percentages do not match what your award letter says, run them through our VA Math calculator. The VA does not just add them

2. Your VA profile basics

Your name, email, contact info, and which VA services your account is allowed to use.

https://api.va.gov/v0/user
What to look for in the response:
  • "first_name", "middle_name", "last_name": how the VA has your legal name on file
  • "email": which email gets your VA notifications
  • "services": a list of features you can use, like "claim_status_tool" or "appeals"
  • "loa" (Level of Assurance): should be "3" if you are fully verified. Lower values mean limited access

3. List of all your VA disability claims

Every disability claim you have filed, open or closed, with status and dates.

https://api.va.gov/v0/benefits_claims
What to look for:
  • "id": a unique number for each claim. Write this down, you will use it for the next address
  • "status": where the claim is in the process. "OPEN" means still being decided. "CLOSED" means a decision was issued
  • "claim_type" or "claim_type_code": what kind of claim. "020" = increased rating, "030" = Higher-Level Review, "040" = supplemental, "110" = original compensation, etc.
  • "received_date": when the VA logged your claim
  • "close_date": when the VA decided it (only on closed claims)

4. Full detail on one specific claim

Every contention, document, and tracked item on a single claim. Replace CLAIM_ID in the address below with one of the "id" numbers from the list above.

https://api.va.gov/v0/benefits_claims/CLAIM_ID
Example: if a claim ID was 600123456, the address would be https://api.va.gov/v0/benefits_claims/600123456.
What to look for:
  • "contentions" or "claim_lines": the conditions you claimed (PTSD, sleep apnea, etc.)
  • "documents_needed": things the VA is waiting on. If this list is non-empty, you may have a duty-to-assist request open
  • "phase": which of the 8 claim phases your claim is in (Claim Received, Initial Review, Evidence Gathering, Review of Evidence, Preparation for Decision, Pending Decision Approval, Preparation for Notification, Complete)
  • "tracked_items": each task with its status. "NEEDED_FROM_YOU" means VA is waiting on you to upload something
  • "min_est_claim_date" / "max_est_claim_date": VA's predicted decision window

5. Your VA appeals

Any decision you have appealed, including Higher-Level Reviews, Supplemental Claims, and appeals at the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

https://api.va.gov/v0/appeals
What to look for:
  • "type": which appeal lane you chose. "higherLevelReview", "supplementalClaim", or "appeal" (Board)
  • "docket": for Board appeals, which docket lane (Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or Hearing)
  • "status": where the appeal currently sits. "ON_DOCKET", "AT_VSO", "PENDING_HEARING_SCHEDULING", etc.
  • "events": timeline of every step that has happened on this appeal
  • "alerts": things you need to do, like a hearing date or a deadline

Why we are showing you these

The VA's official websites (VA.gov and ebenefits) show some of this data, but they hide a lot of the detail. The five addresses on this page hit the same computers VA.gov hits, but they show you the raw answer with everything in it. Veterans use this to:

  • See the exact "received_date" of a claim, which controls back pay
  • Catch a "duty to assist" request the website did not flag clearly
  • Confirm a rating decision actually went through, before the paper letter arrives in the mail
  • Read the contentions list to make sure every condition they filed is on the claim

Safety notes

  • This page never sees your data. When you paste an address into your browser, the data goes from VA's computers straight to your screen. RateMyVSO never receives any of it.
  • Do not share screenshots of the response unless you have edited out personal information. The response can include your full name, email, claim numbers, and ratings.
  • Stay signed in only as long as you need. When you are done, sign out of VA.gov so the address links stop working from your browser.
  • If a link does not work, it usually means VA's developer permissions changed or you got logged out. Try logging in again.

This page is educational. The web addresses listed are public VA Lighthouse API endpoints, the same ones VA.gov uses internally. RateMyVSO is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For help with your claim, find a VSO representative.