Mental health · 38 CFR 4.130 · DC 9499
Substance Use Disorder VA Disability Rating
Substance use disorder (alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, etc.) is NOT directly service-connectable for compensation under 38 USC 1110 (willful misconduct exclusion). However, SECONDARY service connection is well-established when SUD onset post-dates a service-connected mental health condition (PTSD, depression, anxiety). Rated under General Mental scale.
Rating criteria
This condition is rated under 38 CFR 4.130 using the same scale referenced in the summary above. Full bracket-by-bracket breakdown coming in the next content pass; in the meantime, the combined rating calculator handles the math once you know the percentage assigned.
Common secondary conditions
Veterans rated for substance use disorder frequently file secondary-service-connection claims for:
- PTSD (primary)
- Depression (primary)
- Liver disease (alcohol)
Use the calculator
Once you know the percentage assigned for this condition, plug it into the VA Combined Rating Calculator alongside any other service-connected ratings to see your combined percentage and 2026 monthly compensation.
Source citations
- 38 CFR 4.130 (eCFR)
- VA.gov current monthly compensation rates
- VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation directory
VetDisabilityCalc is an independent reference site operated by Zoom Lifestyle LLC. We are not VA-accredited and we do not prepare or present VA claims. The information in this guide is reference material based on the cited regulations and is not legal advice. For representation, use the official VA OGC accreditation directory.