VA Claim Guides
Plain-language help for filing your VA disability claim — and unlike a static explainer, every guide ends in a free tool that turns the reading into action. No download. No account.
Filing Your Claim
Common Mistakes That Get VA Claims Denied
A large share of initial VA claims are denied — and most denials are preventable. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them before you file.
How Long Does a VA Disability Claim Take?
Why your claim sits, jumps backward, or comes back "deferred" — the VA's 8 phases explained in plain English, and the short list of things that actually need your attention.
Intent to File — Protect Your Effective Date First
Submitting an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) before anything else locks in your effective date while you gather evidence — and it can be worth thousands in back pay.
Secondary Service Connection — Claiming Conditions Your Disability Caused
If a service-connected condition causes or aggravates another condition, that second condition is itself service-connected under 38 CFR 3.310. Most veterans leave these claims on the table.
Evidence
Buddy Statements — How to Write One That Actually Helps
A well-written buddy statement can establish an in-service event, a witnessed injury, or when symptoms started. A vague one gets ignored. Here's the difference.
Building Your Evidence Package — The Three Pillars
Every successful VA claim rests on three pillars — a current diagnosis, an in-service event, and a medical nexus connecting them. Here's how to find the gaps before the VA does.
How to Prepare for Your C&P Exam
The Compensation & Pension exam often determines your rating more than any other factor. How you prepare — and what you must never do — can make or break your claim.
Nexus Letters — What They Are and How to Get a Strong One
A strong nexus letter from a qualified provider is often the difference between approval and denial — especially for claims filed years after service. Here's what makes one work.
Presumptives & Exposure
Appeals & Errors
Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) — Reopening a Final Decision
CUE is how you undo a final VA decision that contained an undebatable error. There's no deadline to file, and if granted, the corrected decision goes back to the original date — often with significant back pay.
Denied? Your Three Appeal Options Explained
A denial is not the end. Under the Appeals Modernization Act you have three lanes — Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board Appeal. Here's how to choose the right one.
Ratings & Money
Filing for an Increased Rating
If a service-connected condition has gotten worse since your last rating, you can file for an increase at any time. Here's how to document the worsening so it sticks.
TDIU — Getting Paid at the 100% Rate Without a 100% Rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions keep you from holding steady work — even if your combined rating is below 100%.
VA Forms
DD Form 214, Explained — Your Separation Document
The DD-214 is the DoD separation document the VA uses to confirm your service dates and character of discharge. Nearly every VA disability claim leans on it — so get a clean copy first.
VA Form 10-10EZ, Explained — VA Health Care Enrollment
VA Form 10-10EZ is the application for VA health care. It's separate from disability compensation — you can enroll in VA health care without a disability rating.
VA Form 10182, Explained — Board Appeal
VA Form 10182 sends your disagreement to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You pick one of three dockets — Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or Hearing.
VA Form 20-0995, Explained — Supplemental Claim
File VA Form 20-0995 to open a Supplemental Claim when you have new and relevant evidence on an issue the VA already decided. Filing within one year of your decision protects your effective date.
VA Form 20-0996, Explained — Higher-Level Review
File VA Form 20-0996 to ask a senior reviewer to take a fresh look at the same evidence already in your file for a clear error. No new evidence allowed. File within one year.
VA Form 21-0781, Explained — Mental Health Stressor Statement
VA Form 21-0781 is your written account of the in-service event behind PTSD or another mental health condition. As of June 2024 this single form also covers military sexual trauma claims.
VA Form 21-0966, Explained — Intent to File
VA Form 21-0966 is how you file an Intent to File. It locks in your effective date while you finish gathering evidence — and you then have one year to submit the complete claim.
VA Form 21-10210, Explained — Lay/Witness Statement
VA Form 21-10210 is the structured form a buddy, spouse, or fellow service member uses to give the VA a sworn firsthand account supporting your claim — the modern buddy statement.
VA Form 21-22, Explained — Appoint a VSO
Use VA Form 21-22 to appoint an accredited Veterans Service Organization to represent you on a VA claim or appeal — at no cost. Here's what it does and how it differs from 21-22a.
VA Form 21-22a, Explained — Appoint an Attorney or Claims Agent
VA Form 21-22a appoints an accredited attorney or claims agent to represent you before the VA. Here's how it differs from 21-22, and when fees are and aren't allowed.
VA Form 21-2680, Explained — Aid and Attendance / Housebound Exam
VA Form 21-2680 is a clinician-completed exam report used to claim the higher Aid and Attendance or Housebound rate on top of your monthly VA payment.
VA Form 21-4138, Explained — Statement in Support of Claim
VA Form 21-4138 is the form you use to put your own words on the record — your service, your symptoms, or how a condition affects your daily life.
VA Form 21-4142, Explained — Authorization to Release Records
Sign VA Form 21-4142 to let the VA request your records directly from a private doctor, hospital, or clinic. Pair it with 21-4142a, which lists the providers.
VA Form 21-4192, Explained — Employer Information for TDIU
VA Form 21-4192 is sent to your former employers to verify when you worked, what you earned, and why you left — the employer-side companion to a TDIU (unemployability) claim.
VA Form 21-4502, Explained — Automobile Allowance & Adaptive Equipment
If a service-connected disability cost you the use of a hand, foot, or your sight — or caused a severe burn or ALS — VA Form 21-4502 applies for the automobile allowance and adaptive equipment.
VA Form 21-526EZ, Explained
VA Form 21-526EZ is the main application for VA disability compensation. Here's what it is, when to use it, and how to file it for the fastest path to a decision.
VA Form 21-674, Explained — School Attendance for a Child
VA Form 21-674 keeps an 18-to-23-year-old child counted as a dependent on your VA compensation while they're enrolled in an approved school — which keeps the added payment coming.
VA Form 21-686c, Explained — Add or Remove Dependents
Use VA Form 21-686c to add a spouse or child to your VA compensation, or to remove a dependent after a divorce, death, or a child aging out. Dependents can raise your monthly payment.
VA Form 21-8940, Explained — TDIU Application
VA Form 21-8940 is the application for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) — paying at the 100% rate when service-connected conditions keep you from holding steady work.
VA Form 21P-534EZ, Explained — DIC and Survivors Benefits
Survivors use VA Form 21P-534EZ to claim Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Survivors Pension, or accrued benefits after a veteran's death.
VA Form 22-1990, Explained — Apply for the GI Bill
VA Form 22-1990 is how you apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, and related VA education programs.
VA Form 26-1880, Explained — Certificate of Eligibility for a VA Home Loan
VA Form 26-1880 requests your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — the document a lender needs to confirm you qualify for a VA-guaranteed home loan.
These guides are educational information about the VA claims system — not legal or medical advice, and they do not predict or promise any claim outcome. Regulations and procedures change; always verify current requirements at VA.gov and consult a VA-accredited representative for help with your specific claim.