VA Disability Compensation
How to File a VA Disability Claim
How Do You File a VA Disability Claim?
To file a VA disability claim, submit VA Form 21-526EZ online, by mail, by fax, in person at a VA regional office, or with help from an accredited representative. Start with an intent to file, which gives you 1 year to finish. You then have up to 1 year from the date VA receives your claim to send evidence, and VA averaged 68.4 days to complete disability-related claims in August 2026. Accredited VSO representatives help for free; check what a rating could pay with the VA combined rating calculator.
Check That You Can File a VA Disability Claim
You can file a VA disability claim if three things are true. You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. You have a current illness or injury that affects your body or mind. And it’s linked to service: it started in service, an existing condition got worse in service, or a disability tied to active-duty service appeared after you left.
For some conditions, VA presumes the link. Under the PACT Act and earlier laws, conditions such as certain cancers and lung illnesses after burn pit exposure, or high blood pressure after Agent Orange exposure, don’t need proof that service caused them. You only meet the service requirements. The VA disability compensation overview covers eligibility in full.
Start With an Intent to File
An intent to file tells VA you plan to file. After you submit it, you have 1 year to complete and file your claim. VA says an intent to file sets a potential start date for your benefits, and if VA approves your claim, you may be able to get retroactive payments.
You can submit it online, by phone, in person, or by mail with VA Form 21-0966, the Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or D.I.C. If you start a disability claim online with an identity-verified account, VA treats that as your intent to file automatically. You can have only 1 active intent to file at a time.
If you start the online application, VA recognizes the date you started as your date of claim as long as you finish within 365 days.
Gather Your Evidence
You don’t have to send evidence to file. VA can request records and may schedule an exam. But a claim with good evidence is easier for VA to decide. You have up to 1 year from the date VA receives your claim to turn evidence in.
VA asks for, or will request with your permission:
- your DD214 or other separation documents;
- your service treatment records;
- medical evidence about your condition, such as doctors’ reports, X-rays and test results, from VA or private providers.
Statements from people who know you count as evidence too. Family, friends, clergy, law enforcement or people you served with can describe what happened in service or how your condition affects you. Use VA Form 21-10210 (Lay or Witness Statement, often called a buddy statement) or plain paper. You can add your own statement on VA Form 21-4138.
Five Ways to File a VA Disability Claim
The form is VA Form 21-526EZ, the Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits. VA accepts it five ways:
| How you file | What to know |
|---|---|
| Online | File on va.gov; starting online can also set your intent to file |
| By mail | Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444 |
| In person | At a VA regional office |
| By fax | VA lists domestic and international fax numbers on its filing page |
| With an accredited representative | A VSO representative (free), accredited attorney or claims agent can file with you |
Source: VA, how to file a VA disability claim, page updated September 4, 2026.
List every condition you want rated on the same claim. VA rates each one, then combines the ratings. To see how ratings combine, try the VA combined rating calculator.
Filing Before You Leave the Military
Service members can file before discharge through Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD). You can file between 180 and 90 days before you leave the military if you:
- are on full-time active duty, including the National Guard;
- have a known separation date with 180 to 90 days left;
- can attend VA exams within 45 days of filing.
You also submit a completed Separation Health Assessment, Part A Self Assessment, with the claim. If you miss the BDD window, file within 1 year of leaving active service; VA can then set your effective date as early as the day after separation.
Your VA Claim Exam
After you file, VA may ask you to have a claim exam, also called a compensation and pension (C&P) exam. A VA provider or a VA contract provider does it. It isn’t a treatment visit: the examiner won’t treat you, refer you to other providers or prescribe medicine. The examiner records findings VA uses to decide your rating.
Before the exam, reread your claim and any records you sent, so you can tell the examiner when your symptoms started and how they affect your daily life and work.
Go to the exam. VA says missing it will delay your claim, and VA may decide your claim on the evidence it already has, which could affect your benefits. If you need to reschedule, tell the VA medical center or contractor at least 48 hours ahead. With a contractor, you can reschedule only once per exam, and the new date must be within 5 days of the original.
How Long a VA Disability Claim Takes
VA reported an average of 68.4 days to complete disability-related claims in August 2026. That’s an average across all claims, so yours may be faster or slower.
While you wait, you don’t need to do anything unless VA sends a letter asking for more information. Answer those letters quickly.
Your effective date, not the decision date, decides back pay. For a condition caused or made worse by service, it’s the later of the date VA gets your claim or the date the condition began. If VA gets your claim within 1 year of leaving active service, it can go back to the day after separation. So an intent to file, or filing in your first year out, can add months of payments.
After VA Decides Your Claim
Your decision letter gives your rating for each condition and your combined rating. Then:
- Check your pay. Compare your combined rating with the 2026 VA disability pay rates and read how VA ratings work.
- Add your family. At a combined rating of 30% or more, file VA Form 21-686c to add a spouse, children or dependent parents.
- Disagree? Choose a Supplemental Claim (new and relevant evidence), a Higher-Level Review (same evidence, within 1 year of your decision letter) or a Board Appeal (within 1 year of your decision letter).
- Can’t work because of your conditions? Look at Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Condition worse later? File a claim for increased compensation, not a decision review.
If VA Denies Your Claim or Rates It Too Low
You have three decision review options, and the right one depends on what went wrong:
| Option | Best fit | Deadline | VA’s goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995) | You have new and relevant evidence VA didn’t consider, or a law change such as the PACT Act now covers you | None listed by VA | Average of 125 days |
| Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996) | You think VA made an error with the evidence it had; no new evidence allowed | 1 year from your decision letter | Average of 125 days |
| Board Appeal (VA Form 10182) | You want the Board to review your case by Direct Review, Evidence Submission or a Hearing | 1 year from your decision letter (60 days for a contested claim) | 365 days for Direct Review; 550 for Evidence Submission; 730 for a Hearing |
Source: VA decision review pages, checked October 2, 2026.
A Higher-Level Review includes an optional one-time informal conference with the reviewer. If the Board decides against you, you can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims within 120 days from the date on the Board’s decision letter.
Social Security appeals follow a different path and different deadlines. If you’re also appealing an SSDI or SSI denial, see how to appeal a disability denial.
Get Free Help and Avoid Claim Scams
VA accredits three kinds of representatives: Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives, attorneys and claims agents. VSO help is always free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents can charge only after VA decides your initial claim, VA has a fee agreement signed by you and them, and VA has your VA Form 21-22a naming them. Some help with initial claims for free.
Anyone who charges you to file your first claim, or who isn’t accredited at all, isn’t following VA’s rules. You can file a complaint with VA about them. Find accredited help with VA’s representative search. This page explains the process; it isn’t legal advice about your claim.
Filing for Social Security disability too? It’s a separate application with different rules. See how to apply for disability benefits and SSDI vs SSI. For state programs that may help while you wait, see your state disability benefits page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Have to Send Evidence With My Claim?
No. VA says you don't have to submit evidence to file, though sending it helps. VA can gather records and may schedule a claim exam, and you have up to 1 year from the date VA receives your claim to turn in evidence.
What Is a Buddy Statement?
It's a written statement from someone who knows about your condition or what happened in service, such as a family member, friend or fellow service member. You can use VA Form 21-10210 (Lay or Witness Statement) or write it on plain paper.
Can Someone Charge Me to File My First VA Claim?
Accredited attorneys and claims agents can charge fees only after VA decides your initial claim and a signed fee agreement is on file. Accredited VSO representatives never charge for their help.
What if I Have More Than One Condition?
List every condition on the same claim. VA rates each one and then combines the ratings using its combined ratings table.
Can I Check on My Claim After I File?
Yes. VA says you don't need to do anything while you wait unless it sends you a letter asking for more information. Reply to those letters quickly so your claim keeps moving.
Is an Intent to File Required?
No, but it can help. After you notify VA of your intent to file, you have 1 year to complete your claim. Starting a claim online with an identity-verified account notifies VA automatically, and you can have only 1 active intent to file at a time.
More on VA Disability Compensation
- VA Disability BasicsVA disability compensation: service connection, ratings, monthly pay and how to file
- VA RatingsHow VA assigns ratings, combines them with its table and rounds the result
- 2026 VA Pay Rates2026 VA compensation rates by rating, with spouse, child and parent amounts
- TDIUTotal Disability Individual Unemployability: the rating requirements and how to apply
- 100% Rating BenefitsWhat a 100% VA rating brings: 2026 pay and the related federal benefits
- SSDIHow Social Security Disability Insurance works: work credits, the disability test, the waiting period, amounts and Medicare
This guide explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.