What Free Tools and Resources Does Hill & Ponton Offer for VA Claims?

Updated

Hill & Ponton offers a set of free self-service tools and guides that let you estimate ratings, check PACT Act eligibility, and research toxic exposure locations before or alongside contacting the firm. The tools are listed on its site under "Tools" and "Calculators," and the firm states it charges no fee unless it wins your case. The resources below are useful for preliminary research; they are not a substitute for a formal VA decision or legal advice on your specific claim.

Calculators for Ratings and Back Pay

These tools help you translate your conditions into numbers you can compare against VA pay tables.

  • 2026 VA Disability Calculator — combines your individual disability ratings into a single combined rating and shows the compensation amount you should receive. Useful when you have several rated conditions and want to see how they stack.
  • Unemployability Rating Calculator — for veterans exploring Individual Unemployability (IU), this estimates where you stand relative to the rating thresholds that matter for an IU claim.
  • Backpay Estimator — estimates retroactive payment, which is typically the part of a claim veterans most want to size up early.
  • Hearing Disability Calculator — a condition-specific calculator for hearing loss ratings.

How to use them: enter your current ratings or condition details, then read the combined percentage and dollar figure. Treat the output as an estimate to guide your next step, not as a guaranteed award — the VA applies its own rating criteria and effective dates.

PACT Act and Toxic Exposure Tools

The PACT Act expanded presumptive conditions for many toxic-exposed veterans, and the site builds several tools around it.

  • PACT Act Tool — a questionnaire that uses your dates of service and conditions to indicate whether you may be eligible under the PACT Act.
  • Herbicide Presumptive Timeline — shows when herbicide exposure is presumed for different locations and periods, which matters for claims tied to Vietnam-era service.
  • Mental Health Rating Review Tool — helps you review how mental health symptoms map to rating levels.

Example task: if you served in Thailand or Korea during a covered period and now have a condition on the presumptive list, run the PACT Act Tool first to see whether your service dates and diagnosis line up, then use the timeline to confirm the exposure window.

Maps for Exposure Research

If your claim depends on where you served, the map tools let you check locations directly.

  • Military Base Toxic Exposure Drone Base Map — covers exposure sites at domestic bases.
  • Blue Water Navy Ships — checks whether your ship operated within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam, a key question for Blue Water Navy claims.
  • Exposure site maps for Fort McClellan, Camp Lejeune, and herbicide locations in Cambodia, Guam, Korea, Laos, Okinawa, Thailand, and Vietnam.
  • Burn Pit Exposures maps for Iraq and Afghanistan, plus Gulf War coverage.

These are research aids: confirming your unit's location and dates helps you build the service-connection argument, but the VA still verifies exposure through its own records.

Guides, Articles, and the V.E.T.S Advantage Newsletter

Beyond the interactive tools, the site maintains a written resource library.

  • Guides & Resources covers veterans disability law, VA appeals, PACT Act basics, mental health ratings, VA disability ratings, and a VA Unemployability (IU) guide.
  • VA Disability Ratings & Pay Schedules and Special Monthly Compensation explain how ratings convert to payment.
  • PTSD Guide and the VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) materials help you understand what evidence a claim needs.
  • Master VA Claims Online Course and The Road to VA Compensation Benefits are longer-form learning options.
  • V.E.T.S Advantage Newsletter — a monthly email with client stories, insider knowledge on navigating claims, and additional resources. The site lists a "Read and Subscribe" option, so subscribing is the way to receive it.

When to Move From Tools to a Lawyer

The tools are built for self-assessment, and the firm positions itself as handling appeals of unfavorable VA decisions nationwide, with stated figures of 40 years of practice, 30,000 veterans represented, and $400 million in benefits recovered. It also offers a free case evaluation and states "no fee unless we win."

Use the tools when you want a quick read on your rating, eligibility, or exposure history. Contact the firm when you have an unfavorable decision to appeal, a denied claim, or a complex case where the estimate and the VA's decision diverge — that gap is usually where representation matters.