VA processing disability claims for certain conditions related to particulate matter

VA is now processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis on a presumptive basis based on particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas – if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service.

This will expand benefits for Veterans who served in:

• Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, and Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War, from September 19, 2001, to the present, or
• The Southwest Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990, to the present

If you have a pending claim for one or more of these conditions, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a decision notice when we complete our review. For more information on the new presumptive conditions, visit our website at Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures - Public Health (va.gov). To apply for benefits, Veterans and survivors may visit VA.gov or call toll-free at 800-827-1000