VA benefits can help veterans in many ways after military service, but it’s no secret that the process of obtaining these benefits can be confusing. It seems like there’s a VA form for everything. With so many to choose from, knowing which one you need and how to begin can be challenging.
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Need to take action related to a VA benefit? There’s a form for that! In some cases, there may even be two. The VA disability benefits process isn’t simple to navigate, but we want to help make it as easy as possible. This post closely examines some of the most common VA disability forms you may need.
In this article on this list of VA forms:
“From the day we contacted [Woods and Woods], they made us feel so comfortable. They treated us like we mattered and we were not just clients but family.”
L.B., a Navy veteran and wife in Florida
What is VA disability?
VA disability is a monthly, tax-free payment to veterans who have an illness or injury that was caused or worsened by service. Veterans can qualify for VA disability benefits for physical and mental conditions.
To apply for VA disability benefits, veterans with service-connected disabilities must complete the appropriate forms. They then may be asked to attend a compensation and pension (C&P) exam so a medical professional can determine their condition, its severity, and if it’s service connected. Based on this information, the VA provides a rating percentage that determines the amount of monthly compensation the veteran will receive.
List of VA forms for benefits
Since nearly all VA decisions require a form to apply, you’ll want to be aware of which forms are necessary for certain processes. Below is a list of some of the most common VA forms you may need and what they’re for.
- Form 21-526EZ is your application for disability benefits. It’s likely the first form you’ll complete to get the benefits process started.
- Form 21-0966 is the intent to file form. This tells the VA that you plan to file a disability claim, but you’re still gathering information and are not ready to file a claim just yet. You’ll want to complete this form as soon as you decide to file for disability with the VA because it determines the start date, or effective date, of your benefits. Once this form is submitted, you’ll have one year to submit your full claim.
- Form 21-8940 is for veterans who can’t maintain gainful employment because of a service-related condition or conditions. This form for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) asks the VA to consider whether your condition is totally disabling, even if it doesn’t fit the criteria for a 100% rating.
- Form 20-0995 is the supplemental claim form you use if you want to appeal the VA’s decision on your claim. A supplemental claim requires you to present new and relevant evidence that wasn’t available for the VA to consider when they made their original decision.
- Form 10182 is known as a notice of disagreement. Veterans file this form when they want to appeal their claim through the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) within a year of the VA’s original decision. Veterans who choose this appeal path may or may not have new evidence to present.
- Form 20-0996 is another appeals form that should be filed when you believe the VA made a mistake on your initial decision and want a higher-level review of your benefits claim. With this route, you must appeal within a year of your claim’s decision, and you cannot submit new evidence. You cannot file this appeal to all VA decisions.
- Form VA9, commonly referred to as VA form 9, is the form that was used to appeal legacy decisions. The VA no longer accepts new appeals through this process. If you need to appeal a decision, you will need to take one of the three previously mentioned appeal paths.
- Form 21-10210 is the form used to provide lay or witness statements from people who knew a veteran before, during, or after military service and can provide essential information about how the veteran’s condition began, worsened over time, and affects daily activities.
- Form 21-4138, or a Statement in Support of Claim, can be completed by a veteran to provide additional information about an ongoing claim.
- Form 21-0781 is used to give the VA more details about an in-service traumatic event or service-connected mental health diagnosis. For example, if you witnessed the death of a fellow service member while on active duty, you may have developed a mental health disorder such as PTSD as a result. This optional form can be used to provide more details about that traumatic event and how it led to your diagnosis.
- Form 21-2680 is the form used to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits or housebound benefits.
- Form 21-686c is the application to request to add or remove dependents to your military benefits.
- Form 21-22 can be filed to appoint a Veterans’ Service Organization (VSO) as your representative.
- Form 21-22a is filed to appoint an individual as your representative. This is the form you complete when granting power of attorney to an accredited VA disability lawyer.
- Form 21P-534EZ is the application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to receive a survivor’s pension or a veteran’s accrued benefits.
- Form 21-0845 allows the VA to share your personal information to a non-VA third party individual or organization.
- Form 21-4142 gives the VA the authority to gather information from third parties such as private doctors or hospitals.
- Form 21-0972 lets someone other than the veteran, like a spouse or child, legally sign VA forms on behalf of the veteran.
- Form 21-4142a allows medical professionals to release information to the VA.
- Form 21-0779 requests nursing home information in connection with a claim for Aid and Attendance.
- Form 21-0788 allows dependents to request apportionment of benefits. This form begins the process for the dependents to receive a portion of the veteran’s monthly benefit payment.
- Form 20-10207 is a request for priority processing to get the VA to expedite your claim. Veterans may request for their claim to be expedited if they were diagnosed with a terminal illness or are experiencing extreme financial hardship, for example.
- Form 21P-0847 is for family members of veterans who died before their claim was fully processed and who want to continue the claims request.
“Woods and Woods are the only attorneys I would recommend for veterans, they did a great job for me. 100 percent P&T disability, very caring and understanding. They will not quit until they win. I am so thankful for what they did for me.”
B.C., a Navy veteran in California
From a Google review for Woods & Woods
Finding the VA claims forms for disability you need
Above is just a summary of some of the forms you may need during your VA disability benefits process. You can find any form you need through a search on the VA’s website, including those for burial, education, and health care benefits.
If you need help finding the form you need, a Woods and Woods VA-accredited attorney can walk you through the entire process to help you complete and submit all the necessary forms. An attorney can save you time and ensure you get the full VA benefits you deserve.
How Woods and Woods can help
Our team of VA-accredited attorneys, legal analysts, case managers, and intake specialists help veterans nationwide get the benefits they deserve. If you’re tired of appealing one VA decision after another, call us today for a free case evaluation.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about VA forms
To file a VA disability claim, you need to complete Form 21-526EZ. You’ll also likely need to provide evidence to support your claim, including your DD214 or other separation documents, your service treatment records, and your medical records related to the condition you’re seeking disability benefits for. You may also want to complete Form 21-10210 to provide lay or witness statements from people who can explain how your condition began, worsened over time, and affects daily activities.
You can search for and download any VA form you need on the VA’s website.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
