Victims of sexual assault have more difficulty getting benefits than veterans suffering other service-connected trauma disabilities, a former military officer told a House panel Wednesday.

Only one in three claims for post-traumatic stress related to military sexual trauma are approved by the Veterans Affairs Department, compared to half of all other PTSD claims, said former Marine Capt. Anu Bhagwati, executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network, or SWAN.

In testimony before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s disability assistance panel, Bhagwati said there also are signs of gender bias in the disability rating provided to PTSD victims.

“Women were more likely to receive a 10 to 30 percent rating and men were more likely to receive a 70 to 100 percent disability rating,” she said.Click here to read more