Filing for Compensation

• VA Form 21-526, the Veterans' Application for Compensation and/or Pension, is the form that you complete to file for VA disability compensation. Fill out the general information, compensation and dependency sections to file for compensation; there is no need to fill out the pension section. Attach a copy of your DD214 separation papers; copies of your medical records documenting your disabilities; and copies of any marriage license, divorce decrees and dependents' birth certificates to your application. Then mail your completed application to your nearest VA office.
  
  

Pending Claims

• When you file a claim with the VA, it has to be processed and then evaluated for the VA to make a decision regarding it. Because the VA receives so many claims, it is not unusual for it to be at least six months before you receive a decision regarding your claim. In the meantime, the VA will send you a letter notifying you that they have received your claim and that you will receive no further correspondence from them unless they need additional information from you, such as further medical records.
  
  

Checking the Status of a Claim

• If you want to check the status of your claim, you can call the VA's toll free number at 1-800-827-1000. You will need your social security number as well as your zip code to verify your identity. Alternatively, you may visit your local VA office and speak with a customer service representative who can pull up your records on his computer system. If you visit your local VA office, you will need your military ID to prove your identity.
  
  

Decision Letter

• When you receive your decision letter, it will either approve or deny you for VA compensation. If you are approved, a disability percentage rating will be listed in the decision letter. If you aren't approved, instructions about how you can appeal the decision will be included. If you are approved, you will receive a check on the first of the following month. The initial check will be retroactive; you will receive a lump sum dating back to the date that you filed your claim, since that is when it is determined that your VA compensation started.