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Benefits for former prisoners of war (POWs)

If you have a health condition that’s connected to your time spent as a POW, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation. Compensation provides tax-free monthly payments. Keep reading to find out if you may be eligible.

Am I eligible for VA disability compensation?

You may be eligible for disability compensation if you have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your body or mind and you meet both of these requirements.

Both of these must be true:

  • You have an illness or other health condition that’s connected to your time spent as a POW, and
  • At any time following active-duty service, your condition became at least 10% disabling. We use a disability rating system to measure the severity of your disability.

Keep reading to learn more about the conditions we assume (or “presume”) are connected to your time spent as a POW. We call these presumptive conditions.

Note: If you get a disability rating, you may also be eligible for VA health care and other benefits.

What conditions do these benefits cover?

These benefits cover conditions that we assume were caused by your time spent as a POW. These are based on studies of the long-term effects of captivity, deprivation, trauma, and cold injury.

If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

For former POWs held captive for any length of time

We cover these presumptive conditions that affect your body:

  • Osteoporosis (if you filed your claim on or after October 10, 2008, and you have a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD)
  • Lasting damage from frostbite
  • Posttraumatic osteoarthritis (pain and swelling in your joints that happens when a past injury causes a joint—such as your knee or elbow—to wear out)
  • A stroke or problems caused by a stroke (such as memory loss, loss of speech, or weakness in an arm or leg)
  • Hypertensive vascular disease, including hypertensive heart disease, and related problems (such as a stroke, blood clots, or other serious issues)

We cover these presumptive conditions that affect your mind:

  • A neuropsychiatric condition
  • Psychosis
  • Dysthymic disorder (also called “persistent depressive disorder”)
  • Any of the anxiety states (such as PTSD)

For former POWs held captive for 30 days or more

We cover these presumptive conditions that affect your body:

  • Osteoporosis (if you filed your claim on or after September 28, 2009; you don’t need to have a PTSD diagnosis)
  • Helminthiasis
  • Peripheral neuropathy, except where directly related to an illness caused by an infection
  • Peptic ulcer disease
  • Chronic dysentery
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Cirrhosis of the liver

We cover conditions based on a nutritional deficiency, including these:

  • Avitaminosis
  • Beriberi, including beriberi heart disease
  • Malnutrition, including optic atrophy connected to malnutrition
  • Pellagra

How do I file a claim for compensation?

You can file a claim online now. You can also file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.

File for disability compensation online

Learn about other ways to file a disability compensation claim

Note: When you file, please include any documents that confirm you spent time as a POW. You’ll also need to include a doctor’s report stating that you have 1 or more of the conditions listed here—and that the condition is at least 10% disabling.