What Benefits Do I Get With an Other Than Honorable Discharge?

Many important VA benefits—such as disability compensation, educational assistance (like the G.I. Bill) and home loans—aren’t automatically available to veterans who have “other than honorable” (OTH) discharge. But having an other than honorable discharge on your service record doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re completely barred from obtaining VA services—you can still access certain types of urgent health care, for example. 

For many benefits, the VA reviews eligibility for other than honorably discharged vets on a case-by-case basis. Veterans can also apply for a discharge upgrade, which (if successful) can greatly expand their access to benefits. If you received an other than honorable discharge, it’s helpful to understand what benefits you can still get and what you can do to get them.

Can You Get Disability With an Other Than Honorable Discharge?

In some cases, yes. When you apply for service-connected disability with an other than honorable discharge, the VA will consider all the facts surrounding your service and decide if the quality of your service makes you eligible for disability compensation. This is called a "character of service" determination. (Keep in mind that you can’t get a character of service determination if you took an OTH discharge rather than getting court-martialed.)

During the determination, the VA will review the facts surrounding your time on active duty and decide if it would be unfair to deny you benefits given the nature of your service as a whole. The VA will look at factors such as:

• the nature of the incident or infraction
• your performance and accomplishments during service
• your length of service, and
• any mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

Veterans who received an other than honorable discharge due to an incident connected to mental health conditions (like PTSD), cognitive issues (such as TBI), or military sexual trauma are strong candidates for a favorable character of service determination. If your character of service determination is favorable, then the VA will consider you to have been discharged honorably (or generally) for the purposes of receiving VA benefits only. It won’t change your actual discharge status with the Department of Defense.

Can You Get VA Health Care Benefits With an Other Than Honorable Discharge?

Eligibility for VA health care is subject to the same discharge requirements and character of service determinations as disability compensation. However, you may still be entitled to treatment for certain conditions, even if you don’t otherwise qualify for VA health care. These conditions can include the following:

• care for a VA-rated service-connected disability
• care for conditions related to sexual assault or harassment you experienced while in the military
• mental and behavioral health care, if you served for at least 100 days in the military and served in a combat theater or piloted a drone in a combat theater
• emergency mental health services if you’re in crisis, and
• counseling services at a Vet Center.

While you won’t be able to enroll in full VA health care coverage without at least a general discharge or character of service determination, you should be able to access these vital services with an OTH discharge.

Can You Get a VA Loan With Other Than Honorable Discharge?

If you have other than honorable discharge on your service record, you may not be eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) that shows the lender that you qualify for a loan. (38 U.S.C. §3702 (2)(c) (2026).) As with disability compensation and VA health care benefits, you can apply for a character of service determination or discharge upgrade to try and qualify.

Can You Get VA Benefits With a Dishonorable Discharge?

No, you cannot get any VA benefits with a dishonorable discharge, unless you were determined to be insane at the time of the offense that warranted the dishonorable discharge. (38 C.F.R. § 312(c) (2026).) That means that the VA will not evaluate your eligibility for benefits even on a case-by-case basis, which is the main distinction between OTH discharges and dishonorable discharges.

What if I Have More Than One Period of Service?

Some veterans have multiple periods of service and therefore have more than one discharge paper. If you received an OTH discharge for the first period of service, and an honorable discharge for the second, you may be eligible for disability compensation and health care for any disabilities that occurred or were aggravated during your “good” period of service. But if you were injured during the “bad” period of service, you’re out of luck (unless the VA issues you a good character of service determination).

You may also remain eligible for benefits if, before the end of your service, the military issues a conditional discharge allowing you to reenlist. Even if you got an other than honorable discharge after reenlistment, if your period of service before you reenlisted would have entitled you to an honorable discharge, then you’ll receive benefits. But you’ll still only receive benefits for any disabilities caused or worsened during the “good” period of service. You won’t get benefits for any injuries you got from a reenlistment that ended in an OTH discharge without a positive character of service determination from the VA.

How Can I Change My Discharge Status to Get VA Benefits?

If you’re looking to get VA benefits through a character of service determination, there’s no separate paperwork you need to file. Simply apply for the desired benefit using the normal application process. The VA will see that you have an other than honorable discharge and send you a letter telling you what documentation to submit for the service determination.

Getting a discharge upgrade is considerably more difficult. Each branch of the military has two entities that handle requests for discharge upgrades, a Discharge Review Board (DRB) and a Board of Correction for Military Records (BCMR). The DRB can’t upgrade a dishonorable discharge issued from a general court martial, but it can upgrade the following:

• an other than honorable discharge to a general or an honorable discharge, or
• a bad conduct discharge issued after a special court martial to an honorable, general, or other than honorable discharge.

The BCMR has more authority than the DRB, and can do the following:

• review a decision made by the DRB and change it if necessary
• upgrade discharges, including bad conduct discharges or dishonorable discharges resulting from a general court martial, and
• change discharges in order to allow a veteran to receive a VA pension.

Typically, the DRB is the first stop for most veterans requesting a service upgrade. But if it’s been 15 years or longer since you separated from service or you want to upgrade from a dishonorable discharge from a general court martial, the BCMR is the better option.

Getting Legal Help

If you’ve been denied benefits for having an other than honorable discharge, it can be helpful to talk to a lawyer who is familiar with the rules and regulations about your eligibility for disability compensation and other benefits. Your attorney can deal with the VA for you, gather your medical records, and present a compelling case for why your discharge should be upgraded or why your character of service determination entitles you to benefits. For more information, see our article on the benefits and costs of hiring a VA lawyer.