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Step-by-step guide
Applying for VA disability compensation follows a set path: protect your effective date, gather your evidence, file your claim, attend your exams, and review the decision.
This guide walks through every stage of a disability compensation claim, from your intent to file to your decision review options, with the forms, deadlines, and addresses you need at each step.
Your claim must be filed within one year of your intent to file to keep that earlier effective date.
VA’s reported average for disability-related claims in September 2026. Your claim may take more or less time.
Higher-Level Reviews and Board Appeals must be requested within one year of your decision letter.
Step 1
An intent to file (VA Form 21-0966) is not a claim for disability. It tells VA that you plan to file a claim, and it sets a potential effective date for your benefits. If your claim is approved, you may receive back pay from the date VA processed your intent to file rather than the date you finished your claim, which can add up to months of additional payments.
A veteran submits an intent to file for disability compensation on April 2 and files the full claim on July 15. If the claim is approved, the effective date can be April 2, not July 15.
Ways to submit an intent to file:
Step 2
To be approved, your claim needs to show three things: a current diagnosed condition, an event, injury, or illness during service, and a link (nexus) between the two. Read our service connection guide for a full breakdown.
Your DD214 (or other separation documents) and service treatment records. VA will review these when it processes your claim.
VA and private medical records showing your diagnosis and how the condition affects you. To have VA request private records, submit VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a.
Statements from family, friends, clergy, or fellow service members who know about your condition or the in-service event, sometimes called “buddy statements.”
Step 3
A new disability claim is filed on the Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits (VA Form 21-526EZ). You can file for any illness, injury, or condition that was caused by, or got worse because of, your active military service.
Step 3, continued
Depending on what you are claiming, you may need to submit additional forms with your 21-526EZ. Find VA forms.
Step 4
Online filers see a confirmation on screen. If you mail your claim, VA sends a letter about one week after it receives your claim, plus mailing time. Your claim then moves through these stages:
Don’t miss your exam. If VA schedules a C&P exam, attend it. Missing an exam can delay your claim or lead VA to decide it without that evidence. If you submit new evidence after the evidence-gathering stage, your claim may move back to that stage.
You can check your claim status online at any time. In September 2026, VA reported an average of 68.2 days to complete disability-related claims, though complex claims can take longer.
Step 5
When VA decides your claim, you can view and download the decision letter in VA’s claim status tool, and VA mails a copy that should arrive within about 10 business days. If you are eligible, the letter shows your disability rating, your monthly payment, and the date your payments start. Each condition may be granted, denied, or deferred (see What is a Deferred VA Claim?).
Even if your claim was granted, ask yourself:
If the answer to any of these is yes, a decision review may be worth considering. You can estimate your payment with our VA disability calculator and compare it to the current 2027 VA disability rates.
Step 6
For decisions issued on or after February 19, 2019, the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) gives you three ways to ask VA to take another look.
| Supplemental Claim | Higher-Level Review | Board Appeal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Adding new and relevant evidence | A senior reviewer to check for an error | Review by a Veterans Law Judge |
| New evidence | Required | Not allowed | Depends on the option you choose |
| Deadline | No deadline, but file within 1 year to protect your effective date | 1 year from your decision letter | 1 year from your decision letter |
| Form | VA Form 20-0995 | VA Form 20-0996 | VA Form 10182 |
| VA’s goal | 125 days on average | 125 days on average | 365 to 730 days, depending on option |
Submit evidence VA didn’t have before and that relates to your claim, such as a new medical opinion or a statement from someone who witnessed the in-service event. A change in law can also support a Supplemental Claim. File a Supplemental Claim.
A more senior reviewer looks at the same evidence. You can request one informal conference, a phone call to point out errors in the decision. It can add time to the review. Request a Higher-Level Review.
Choose Direct Review (no new evidence), Evidence Submission (evidence within 90 days), or a Hearing with a Veterans Law Judge (evidence at or within 90 days after the hearing). Request a Board Appeal.
Read our full VA appeals process guide for a closer look at each option.
Questions
VA reported an average of 68.2 days to complete disability-related claims in September 2026. Claims with many conditions, missing records, or additional exams can take longer. You can track your claim status online.
No. Starting a disability compensation claim online through VA.gov sets your intent to file automatically. You then have one year to finish and submit the claim.
You can submit evidence for up to one year after VA receives your claim. Sending everything with your claim can help VA decide it faster.
Missing a scheduled exam can delay your claim or lead VA to decide it without that exam. If you can’t make your appointment, contact VA or the exam provider as soon as possible to reschedule.
Yes. If you believe your rating is too low, your effective date is wrong, or VA overlooked a condition or benefit like individual unemployability, you can request a decision review.
No. You can file on your own or with free help from a Veterans Service Organization. Accredited attorneys and claims agents generally can’t charge fees for help with an initial claim, and often become involved after VA issues a decision. A VA-accredited attorney can help you understand your review options.
Talk to our team
Our veterans attorneys can review your decision and help you choose the right next step. Request a consultation or call 1-844-VET-LAWS (1-844-838-5297).
