Answers to the most common questions about how this site works, your privacy, the guides, and how to get the most out of them.
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No. There is no account, no login, and no registration on this site. Everything is open and free. The only account you need is a Claude account on Anthropic's platform, which the Project Setup guide walks you through creating.
Yes. Every guide, every prompt, and every framework on this site is free. The site is licensed CC BY-NC, which means no one is permitted to charge you for this content. The only cost involved is Claude Pro at $20 per month directly from Anthropic, which is what makes file uploads and persistent memory work well. VeteranUnlocked has no financial relationship with Anthropic and receives nothing when you subscribe.
The free tier of Claude can run most of the prompts, but Claude Pro is what makes the full system work as designed. The key features are the ability to upload your records — your DD-214, Blue Button report, service treatment records — and persistent Project memory so Claude remembers your history across sessions. Without those, you are re-explaining yourself every session and Claude cannot audit your records. Claude Pro is $20 per month directly from Anthropic.
A Project is a feature in Claude Pro that lets you create a persistent workspace. It remembers your history, keeps your uploaded files available, and means Claude already knows your full situation before you type a single word each session. The Project Setup guide walks you through creating one and loading it with your information.
Your files go into your own Claude account on Anthropic's platform. VeteranUnlocked never receives them, never stores them, and has no access to them at any point. The connection is between you and Anthropic, not you and this site. Review Anthropic's privacy policy at anthropic.com/privacy for details on how they handle uploaded documents.
No. We do not collect names, service information, medical records, or any personal data through this site. The only information we ever receive is what you voluntarily submit through the contact form, and that goes directly to our email inbox.
No. Your Claude sessions are between you and Anthropic. VeteranUnlocked has no visibility into what you type, what Claude says back, or what files you have uploaded.
No. Use them as a starting point, not a script. The prompts are designed to be adapted to your situation. If something does not apply to you, skip it. If you find a better way to phrase something, use that. The goal is to help you understand your file and build strong evidence, not to make you follow a rigid process.
Yes. The guides are useful at any stage — whether you are filing for the first time, preparing for a C&P exam, responding to a proposed reduction, building a supplemental claim, or trying to understand a rating decision you already received.
A Compensation and Pension exam is a medical examination ordered by the VA to evaluate your disability claim. The examiner fills out a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) that directly influences your rating. The Claims Builder includes a C&P exam preparation section with a DBQ-matched roadmap, a practice exam where Claude roleplays the examiner using your actual conditions, and a communication reference sheet you can bring into the exam.
A fully developed claim means you submit all your evidence at the same time rather than waiting for the VA to gather it. When your file is complete going in — your own records, lay statements, and ideally a private DBQ from your own provider — the VA can sometimes rate you directly from that evidence without ordering a C&P exam. The Claims Builder is specifically designed to help you build this kind of file before you file anything.
A Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is the form VA examiners use to evaluate conditions. Private providers can complete the same form independently. A private DBQ from a doctor who actually knows your history can be stronger evidence than one completed by a VA contractor during a 20-minute appointment. The Claims Builder includes a prompt to help you find private DBQ providers near you.
Special Monthly Compensation is additional compensation paid above your regular rating for specific conditions or functional losses — things like loss of use, need for aid and attendance, or certain anatomical losses. Many veterans who qualify have never filed for it. The Claims Builder has a full SMC section including the commonly overlooked SMC-K category.
Claude has a 30MB file size limit per upload. Service Treatment Records and Blue Button reports are the most likely to exceed this. Split large PDFs into smaller parts using a free tool like SmallPDF or ILovePDF, and upload each part separately. For Blue Button text files, open in any text editor and split into two files at a natural break point. The Project Setup guide covers this in detail.
The VA does not add disability ratings together. It uses a combined ratings formula that calculates each condition against your remaining able-bodied percentage. For example, if you are 50% disabled, the VA considers you 50% able-bodied. A second 30% rating applies to that 50%, adding 15 points, bringing you to 65%, which rounds to 70% — not 80%. The calculator at veteranunlocked.com/calculator lets you run these scenarios yourself.
A 100% schedular rating means your combined disabilities reach 100% under the VA's formula. Permanent and Total (P&T) means the VA has determined your conditions are both at 100% and permanent — not expected to improve. P&T unlocks additional benefits including CHAMPVA healthcare for your dependents, Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance, and protection from future re-examination. The Benefits page covers this distinction in detail.
Yes, in some cases. If you submit a complete evidence package — strong medical records, a thorough lay statement, and ideally a private DBQ from your own provider — the VA can sometimes rate a condition directly from that evidence without ordering an exam. This is one of the primary goals of building a fully developed claim the way these guides describe.
A medically separated Air Force veteran with 25 years of experience in IT, cloud, and AI architecture. The guides were built and refined against a real claims file, real C&P exams, and a real hearing — not theoretical scenarios.
No. VeteranUnlocked is completely independent and has no affiliation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Anthropic, any VSO, or any claims company.
Yes, and please do. Everything on this site is licensed CC BY-NC — free to share and adapt with attribution, as long as no one charges veterans for it. Post it, share it, forward it. That is the whole point.
Use the contact form at veteranunlocked.com/contact and select "Error Report." Accuracy matters and we fix things when they are flagged.
We do not recommend specific VSOs by name — that is what the Sitrep page is for, where veterans submit recommendations from their own experience. To find any VA-accredited representative in your area, use the VA's official search at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.
VeteranUnlocked is an educational guide. We are not a legal service or a claims company. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Nothing on this site constitutes legal or medical advice. We do not guarantee eligibility, approval, compensation, or ratings. This site helps veterans understand their medical records using AI and identify potential claims to discuss with an accredited representative or pursue independently.