How to File a VA Disability Claim

Before you start: what you need to know

Filing a VA disability claim asks VA to decide whether a current condition is connected to service and, if so, how it should be rated. A compensable combined rating can produce a monthly tax-free payment. A 0% service-connected rating does not by itself produce monthly disability compensation, although it establishes service connection and may support eligibility for other VA benefits.

You may qualify for disability compensation if you:

• Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training
• Have a current physical or mental disability
• Have evidence connecting the disability to service, or qualify under a presumptive rule

You do not always need an in-service diagnosis. The evidence requirements depend on the condition, the type of service, and the theory of service connection.

Step 1: File an Intent to File (ITF)

Why this matters: An Intent to File can reserve a potential earlier effective date while you prepare your claim. To have VA consider that date, you generally must submit a complete claim for the same benefit within one year. The claim must still be granted, and the applicable effective-date rules determine the actual date.

How to do it:

1. Go to VA.gov and start the claim process — the system automatically creates an ITF when you begin
2. Or call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and request an Intent to File
3. Or submit VA Form 21-0966 by mail

Save the confirmation and calendar the one-year deadline. An Intent to File is not a completed claim and does not guarantee back pay.

Step 2: Gather your evidence

Relevant, credible evidence helps VA decide both service connection and the correct rating. Most claims draw from three broad evidence categories:

Service connection evidence

Proves your condition is related to military service:

• Service treatment and personnel records — VA may obtain federal records when deciding the claim. If you want your own copies, follow VA’s current military-record instructions; the correct source may be the National Archives, milConnect, or your personnel command depending on branch and separation date
• DD214 or other separation documents — Can document service and character of discharge; VA says it will request the DD214 when it receives a benefits application
• Orders, duty assignments, exposure, or deployment records — Use the records relevant to the event, injury, disease, or exposure you identify
• Buddy statements — Written statements from fellow service members who witnessed relevant events or conditions

Medical evidence

Proves you currently have the condition:

• Medical or lay evidence of a current condition — What VA accepts depends on the claim and issue; a diagnosis may be required or especially important for some conditions
• Treatment and test records — Documents symptoms, diagnoses when applicable, treatment, and functional effects
• Medical nexus opinion, when needed — A qualified medical professional may explain whether a condition is related to service or to a service-connected condition. A separate nexus letter is not required for every claim, and no particular phrase guarantees approval.

Impact evidence

Shows how the condition affects your daily life:

• Personal statement (VA Form 21-4138) — Describe in detail how your condition affects work, relationships, sleep, daily activities
• Spouse/family statements — Others can describe what they observe
• Employment records — If you’ve missed work or been terminated due to your condition

Pro tip: be specific

Describe what you personally experience without guessing or exaggerating. For example: “My lower-back pain travels down my left leg. During flare-ups, which happened about three times last month, I needed help putting on my shoes and left work early twice.” Use your real symptoms, frequency, dates, and limitations.

Step 3: Choose your claim type

Fully Developed Claim (FDC)

You submit all evidence available to you with the claim and certify that no additional evidence is needed from non-federal sources. VA may still move the claim into the standard process if it needs more evidence. Do not choose an FDC based on a promised completion time; VA does not guarantee that an individual FDC will be faster.

Standard claim

You submit the claim and VA helps develop evidence by requesting records or scheduling examinations when needed. This route may be appropriate if you’re having trouble obtaining records yourself.

Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)

Eligible service members may file through BDD when they have 180 to 90 days left on active duty. The program lets VA begin processing before separation; it does not guarantee a decision or payment immediately after discharge.

Step 4: File your claim

Online: Go to VA.gov and complete VA Form 21-526EZ — “Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits.”

The online system will:

• Walk you through each section
• Let you upload supporting documents
• Reserve a potential earlier start date when you begin the form while signed in with an identity-verified account
• Give you a confirmation number for tracking

In person: Visit your local VA Regional Office. Bring all evidence and documentation.

By mail: Download and complete VA Form 21-526EZ, attach the evidence you are submitting, and mail it to the VA Claims Intake Center address shown on the current form.

With an accredited representative: An accredited Veterans Service Organization representative can help you prepare and file a claim at no cost. Attorneys and accredited claims agents may charge fees in circumstances allowed by law. Verify accreditation at VA.gov.

What to claim

• List each current condition you want VA to consider and identify the service event, exposure, injury, illness, or service-connected condition you believe relates to it
• Distinguish a direct claim from a condition you believe was caused or aggravated by an existing service-connected disability
• Do not inflate symptoms or add a condition solely to seek a particular percentage; submit accurate evidence for each issue

Step 5: Attend your C&P exam

After filing, VA may schedule one or more Compensation & Pension (C&P) exams. This is not a treatment appointment—it is an evaluation used to gather information needed to decide your claim.

Important: Attend the exam or promptly follow the instructions in your appointment notice if you cannot. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.655, the consequence of missing a required exam without good cause depends on the type of claim and the evidence already of record; it is not automatically the same for every claim.

For detailed preparation guidance, read our C&P exam guide.

Key points:

• Describe your usual symptoms, their frequency, and what changes during a flare-up or particularly difficult day
• Be honest and specific about how the condition affects work and daily life without minimizing or exaggerating
• Answer only what you know; say when you do not remember an exact date or detail
• Follow the appointment instructions about records or other items to bring

Step 6: Wait for your rating decision

When VA determines it has enough evidence, an adjudicator reviews the record and decides each claimed issue. VA may decide some claims without a C&P exam, and different issues in the same claim can be granted, denied, or deferred.

VA reported an average of 71.3 days to complete disability-related claims in June 2026. This is an all-claim national average, not a deadline or a prediction for your claim. Check VA’s current filing page for the latest published figure.

Track your claim: Log into VA.gov to check requests and the current stage. VA’s public process runs from claim received through claim decided, but a claim can return to evidence gathering when VA needs or receives more evidence. Our VA claim status guide explains all eight steps, backward movement, tracker limits, and when you need to act.

Step 7: Review your decision

VA mails a decision letter. For supported claim types, you can also download it through VA.gov. Review it issue by issue for:

• Each claimed condition and whether it was granted or denied
• The rating percentage for each granted condition
• Your combined rating (calculated using VA math)
• Your monthly payment information, if any
• Your effective date for each award (which is not always the same as the first payment date)

Use our VA disability calculator to estimate a combined rating and basic payment from the ratings you enter. Your VA decision and current rate table control the actual award, including dependency amounts, offsets, or other adjustments.

If you disagree with the decision

You have three options under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA):

1. Supplemental Claim — Submit or identify new and relevant evidence for VA to consider.

2. Higher-Level Review — Ask a higher-level reviewer to review the existing record. You cannot submit new evidence in this lane.

3. Board Appeal — Ask a Veterans Law Judge to review the decision. The Direct Review, Evidence Submission, and Hearing dockets have different evidence and hearing rules.

You generally have one year from the date of the decision notice to choose a review option if you want to maintain continuous pursuit. The correct route and effective-date result depend on the issue and timing, so follow the notice and consider accredited help when a deadline is close.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Waiting to consider an Intent to File — It may reserve a potential earlier effective date, but it is not a claim or a back-pay guarantee
2. Using vague or exaggerated evidence — Give truthful, specific examples and dates when you can
3. Missing a requested C&P exam without addressing it — Follow the notice promptly if you need to reschedule or have good cause
4. Overlooking a possible secondary condition — A diagnosed condition may qualify if evidence shows that a service-connected condition caused or aggravated it. See our secondary-condition guides.
5. Assuming the filing date always controls — Effective dates are claim- and fact-specific
6. Assuming every claim needs a nexus letter — Some claims need a medical opinion; others may already have sufficient evidence or use a presumptive rule

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance on your VA disability claim, consult a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO), attorney, or claims agent. You can find accredited representatives at VA.gov.