Claim Guide

Who Can File a VA Disability Claim

Before stepping through the 13-part guide, confirm you're eligible. The VA evaluates four things up front: who you are, how you served, the character of your discharge, and whether the condition is connected to that service.

• Discharge character: Honorable, General (Under Honorable Conditions), and certain Other Than Honorable (OTH) discharges can qualify. Dishonorable discharges generally bar VA disability compensation. If your discharge character is the blocker, the discharge upgrade process may be available.
• Service type: Active duty, Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA), and Inactive Duty for Training (IADT, the drill weekend) all count, but the rules differ for each. Most Guard and Reserve service members must show that a condition was incurred or aggravated during a specific qualifying period. Read the full Guard & Reserve guide before filing if your service was part-time.
• Uniformed services covered: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and most members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Public Health Service (PHS) commissioned corps.
• Merchant Marines: Generally not covered, with a narrow exception for those who served in oceangoing service between December 7, 1941 and August 15, 1945.
• Combat status: Combat veterans benefit from a relaxed proof rule for in-service events under 38 USC 1154(b), but combat status alone is not service connection. See what the combat presumption actually does, and what it does not do.

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 to help you research 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.

Worked Examples: What Triggers a C&P Exam vs. a Denial

Before the rest of the steps, see how the three-element rule (current diagnosis + in-service event + nexus) plays out in real claim scenarios. The VA may deny a claim without scheduling a C&P exam if one of the three elements is missing on the face of the application.

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 decides 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, use the exact terms from VA.gov's dropdown. See our filing terms reference to know exactly what to select.
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

Track Your Claim While You Wait

The VA's claim status page shows limited information. This free Chrome extension gives you more detail on your claim phases, timelines, and status updates, all from data the VA already provides but hides.

Filing an Increase Claim Instead?

If you already have a service-connected condition and it has worsened, you file an "increase claim" rather than a new claim. The process is similar, but the strategic concerns are different.

How it works

• Same form: VA Form 21-526EZ. Select the existing condition and indicate the rating should be increased.
• Evidence of worsening: Not strictly required to file, but you should submit updated medical records, an updated DBQ, or a new C&P-ready statement showing the condition is more severe than at the last rating.
• Intent to File: Still applies. File the ITF before filing the increase claim to lock in the earliest possible effective date for the new rating.
• Review the rating schedule first: Confirm your current symptoms actually match a higher tier on the rating schedule for that diagnostic code. Filing an increase when you do not meet a higher tier wastes time and exposes the claim file to review.

Read first: Filing a VA Rating Increase, A Strategic Guide, the full decision walkthrough (diagnostic code lookup, next-tier criteria mapping, pain myth, 38 CFR 3.344 protections, evidence packaging).

Common Filing Errors That Get Claims Denied

These are the mistakes that get winnable claims denied. Most are avoidable in five minutes. See the dedicated 10 Most Common VA Claim Mistakes guide for the full list with fixes.

• Unsigned forms. An unsigned VA Form 21-526EZ is not a claim. Sign and date every form.
• Expired or wrong-version forms. The VA updates forms periodically. Pull the current version from VA.gov, not a search-engine PDF from three years ago.
• Missing dates. Date the form on the day you sign it. A blank signature date can delay or invalidate the submission.
• Attorney signing the initial claim. Only the veteran (or a legal guardian / fiduciary) can sign the initial VA Form 21-526EZ. An accredited attorney or claims agent can sign later submissions and represent the veteran, but the veteran's signature is required to open the claim.
• Vague condition language. "Back problems" is not a claim. Use specific terms ("lumbar strain", "intervertebral disc syndrome") or use the VA.gov dropdown options. See our filing terms reference.
• Premature appeal. Filing a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review before the original decision is final restarts the review and delays the decision. Wait for the decision letter.
• Evidence submitted without referencing the claim. Records uploaded to the wrong claim, or to no claim, can sit in the file unrouted. When uploading on VA.gov, attach evidence to the open claim.
• Filing without requesting STRs. If your service treatment records are not already in the VA's hands, request them before or alongside the claim. Do not assume the VA will pull them automatically. See the Records Request Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Go Deeper