Claim Assistance

1 File Your Intent to File — Do This Today

An Intent to File (ITF) tells the VA "I plan to submit a disability claim." It locks in your effective date — the date the VA uses to calculate your back pay. You have up to one year after filing the ITF to submit your actual claim.

Every day you wait without an ITF is a day of back pay you lose. You don't need to know your condition, your diagnostic code, or have any evidence ready.

How to File

• Call 1-800-827-1000 — fastest option, no online account needed. Tell them you want to file an Intent to File for disability compensation.
• File online at VA.gov — requires a Login.gov or ID.me account (see Step 12).
• Visit a VA Regional Office in person.
• Have your VSO file it — if you already have a representative.

2 Identify How Your Physical Disability Might Map to a VA DC Code

Figure out what condition(s) you're claiming. You don't need to know the medical name — the VA assigns the diagnostic code. But understanding which code applies helps you build a stronger case.

Our AI-powered search lets you describe your symptoms in plain English and matches you to the most likely VA diagnostic codes.

3 Determine Your Service Connection Type

The VA needs to know how your condition is connected to your military service. There are four types:

• Direct service connection — your condition happened in service or was directly caused by your service (e.g., hearing loss from artillery, knee injury from a training accident).
• Secondary service connection — your condition was caused or made worse by a condition you're already service-connected for (e.g., depression caused by chronic pain from a service-connected back injury).
• Presumptive service connection — the VA presumes your condition is related to service based on when/where you served. PACT Act, Agent Orange, Gulf War, and radiation exposure conditions fall here. No nexus letter needed, but one could help in some cases involving secondary conditions getting connected to a presumptive condition.
• Aggravation — you had a pre-existing condition that was made permanently worse by your military service.

4 Get Your Service Records

Service Treatment Records (STRs) are your military medical records — they document anything medical that happened during your service. The VA uses them to verify in-service events, injuries, or exposures.

How to Get Them

• VA.gov — request through your VA.gov account
• National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) — request via Standard Form 180
• Your VA medical facility — they may already have copies in your file

5 Get a Current Medical Diagnosis

The VA cannot rate a condition that isn't diagnosed. You need a doctor — VA or private — to confirm you currently have the condition you're claiming.

• VA doctor — if you're enrolled in VA healthcare, your VA provider can diagnose you. This goes directly into your VA medical record.
• Private doctor — the VA accepts private medical records. Get the diagnosis in writing.

6 Get a Nexus Letter

A nexus letter is a written medical opinion from a doctor stating that your condition is "at least as likely as not" connected to your military service. This is the legal standard the VA uses.

This is the #1 reason claims are denied — no medical opinion connecting the condition to service.

What Makes a Good Nexus Letter

• Written by a qualified medical professional (MD, DO, NP, PA)
• Uses the words: "at least as likely as not" (50% or greater probability)
• Explains the medical reasoning — not just a conclusion
• References your service records and medical history
• For secondary claims: explains how the primary condition caused or aggravated the secondary

7 Get a DBQ Filled Out

A Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is a standardized VA form that documents the severity of your condition in the exact format VA raters need. Having your own doctor complete one gives the VA detailed evidence before the C&P exam.

• Find the DBQ specific to your condition in our library
• Have your treating physician complete it — they know your condition best
• Submit it with your claim as supporting evidence

8 Write & Collect Lay / Buddy Statements

Lay statements (also called buddy statements) are written accounts from people who have witnessed your symptoms or the event that caused your condition. The VA gives these real weight.

Who Can Write Them

• Fellow service members — who witnessed the event or your symptoms in service
• Spouse or partner — who sees how symptoms affect your daily life
• Family members — who noticed changes in you after service
• Coworkers — who see how your condition affects your work
• You — your own personal statement describing your experience

What to Include

• Specific observations — what they saw, heard, or experienced
• Dates or timeframes — when symptoms started or events occurred
• How your condition affects daily activities — sleeping, working, driving, relationships
• Changes they noticed — before vs after service, or over time

9 Gather Private Medical Records

Collect all medical records related to your condition — not just from the VA. Private doctor visits, specialist referrals, physical therapy, prescriptions, and imaging all strengthen your claim.

What to Include

• Treatment records — from any provider who treated the condition
• Imaging — X-rays, MRIs, CT scans
• Prescription history — shows ongoing treatment
• Specialist reports — orthopedic, neurological, psychological evaluations
• Emergency room visits — if applicable

10 Review Your Rating Criteria

Before your C&P exam, understand exactly what the VA is looking for. Each diagnostic code has specific rating criteria — the symptoms and limitations that qualify for each percentage level (0%, 10%, 20%, etc.).

Knowing the difference between a 30% and a 50% rating helps you describe your symptoms accurately and completely during the exam.

11 Prepare for Your C&P Exam

After you file, the VA will schedule a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam. This is not your doctor — it's the VA's examiner evaluating the severity of your condition. This exam has enormous impact on your rating.

Do

• Report your worst days — not how you feel right now, but how bad it gets
• Describe functional impact — "I can't tie my shoes" matters more than "my back hurts"
• Bring documentation — your buddy statements, medical records, anything supporting your claim
• Mention flare-ups — how often, how severe, how long they last
• Be honest — exaggeration hurts your credibility, but minimizing costs you money

Don't

• Don't lie about or exaggerate symptoms — this destroys your credibility and can result in fraud charges. Be honest about what you experience.
• Don't say "I'm fine" — this is not a social conversation
• Don't minimize — the examiner documents exactly what you report
• Don't be tough — this is not the time for military bearing

12 File Your Claim or Meet Your VSO

Self-Filing

1. Create a VA.gov account — you'll need Login.gov or ID.me for identity verification
2. Start VA Form 21-526EZ at VA.gov — this is the actual claim form
3. List all conditions — describe each in plain language. The VA assigns the diagnostic code.
4. Upload all evidence — nexus letter, DBQ, buddy statements, medical records
5. Choose Fully Developed Claim (FDC) if you have all evidence ready — this gets faster processing
6. Submit

Meeting Your VSO Representative

A VSO representative files on your behalf and advocates for you throughout the process — all for free. Bring your evidence packet to your first meeting.

What to Bring

• Your DD-214 (discharge paperwork)
• List of conditions you want to claim
• Service treatment records (or note that you've requested them)
• Current diagnosis documentation
• Nexus letter(s) if you have them
• DBQ(s) if you have them
• Buddy statements
• Private medical records

13 After the Decision

Decisions typically take 3-6 months. When you receive your decision letter, review it carefully.

Check Your Rating

• Verify your VA Math — the VA combines ratings using a special formula, not simple addition. Use our calculator to confirm your combined rating is correct.
• Check for SMC — if you have a single 100% rating plus additional 60%+, you may qualify for SMC-S housebound rate. If you have loss of use of a creative organ, check SMC-K.
• Review the reasoning — the decision letter explains why you got each rating. Look for errors.

If You're Denied or Underrated

You have three appeal options:

• Supplemental Claim — submit new and relevant evidence the VA hasn't seen
• Higher-Level Review — a senior rater re-reviews the same evidence for errors
• Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) — a judge reviews your case