File a VA disability compensation claim
Resources, agencies and counties · resources
What this source covers
Choose an authorized claim route and prepare service, condition and supporting evidence.
How to use it
Who this route is for: Veterans considering disability compensation for a condition related to service; VA decides service connection, rating and other eligibility.
Prepare: Discharge and service records; VA or private medical records; Supporting statements or other relevant evidence; Dependency details where relevant; Existing VA claim or account information
How to proceed:
1. Review claim eligibility and evidence requirements, preferably with an accredited representative.
2. Identify each condition and gather or identify relevant service and treatment records and supporting statements.
3. File online or use the current VA Form 21-526EZ instructions for mail, in-person, fax or representative-assisted filing.
4. Keep confirmation, attend any required examination and respond to VA requests; review the decision and available review routes when it arrives.
Timing and notices: Ask about intent-to-file rules when collecting evidence. For an online application, VA says starting it may preserve a date if completed within 365 days; confirm the route and conditions before relying on this.
Read VA disability claim filing instructions: https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
Limits and questions to verify
A complete evidence package can help but is not a guarantee. Do not infer eligibility solely from a discharge label; ask VA or an accredited representative about applicable reviews.
Procedure-navigation guidance reviewed 2026-10-11 against retained primary publisher evidence. Captured HTML/PDF and labeled web-tool extracts retain their own evidence types and hashes. Source review does not validate legal currentness, personal deadlines, eligibi
Source: File a VA disability compensation claim - publisher instructions · https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
Stored review status: source_profile_reviewed. A text match is a research starting point; applicability is not established.
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Record provenance
Stable record: resource_directory:resources:1713
Source file: data/source-evidence/2026-10-11/all-categories/49bc923fdb4e80283b3c492427a23c999b8b59dc4a0bd6835231ac1476ba7466.html
Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded
Passage SHA-256: a186bb693da9c7c2b5ec13b148fb7ece327120fe356ab05d31cbd1ae83af6348
Retained source evidence SHA-256: 49bc923fdb4e80283b3c492427a23c999b8b59dc4a0bd6835231ac1476ba7466
Source location: Procedure applicability, preparation, next steps, timing and limitations; statewide source; discovered from https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
Source checked: 2026-10-11 (access date, not legal effective date)
Stored source content
What this source covers
Choose an authorized claim route and prepare service, condition and supporting evidence.
How to use it
Who this route is for: Veterans considering disability compensation for a condition related to service; VA decides service connection, rating and other eligibility.
Prepare: Discharge and service records; VA or private medical records; Supporting statements or other relevant evidence; Dependency details where relevant; Existing VA claim or account information
How to proceed:
1. Review claim eligibility and evidence requirements, preferably with an accredited representative.
2. Identify each condition and gather or identify relevant service and treatment records and supporting statements.
3. File online or use the current VA Form 21-526EZ instructions for mail, in-person, fax or representative-assisted filing.
4. Keep confirmation, attend any required examination and respond to VA requests; review the decision and available review routes when it arrives.
Timing and notices: Ask about intent-to-file rules when collecting evidence. For an online application, VA says starting it may preserve a date if completed within 365 days; confirm the route and conditions before relying on this.
Read VA disability claim filing instructions: https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
Limits and questions to verify
A complete evidence package can help but is not a guarantee. Do not infer eligibility solely from a discharge label; ask VA or an accredited representative about applicable reviews.
Procedure-navigation guidance reviewed 2026-10-11 against retained primary publisher evidence. Captured HTML/PDF and labeled web-tool extracts retain their own evidence types and hashes. Source review does not validate legal currentness, personal deadlines, eligibility, service availability or a complete filing packet.
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
No explicit source connection was found. This does not mean there are no relevant authorities.