Question:
Hello Jim, can you explain the 55-year-old protected ratings VA rule? Thanks
Jim's Reply:
You're a bit off track...there is no such thing as a 55 year old protected rating rule. The "protected rating" is a topic that creates a lot of confusion so let me begin by saying there is no such thing as a protected rating. VA can and will investigate possible fraud no matter how long you've held a given rating.
There is some protection after you hold a rating for a long while that says that the rating won't change even if the underlying law changes. Age 55 is the usual point that ratings may be made permanent rather than temporary and doesn't have anything to do with protecting a rating.
In the end no rating is ever really protected from VA so we should always be on the lookout for any VA shenanigans.