The Playbook › Step 1 of 7: Know the rules
A VA disability claim is a request for monthly, tax-free compensation for an illness or injury that was caused or made worse by your military service. The process has a fixed order. Once you can see the whole thing, each step gets a lot less intimidating.
This page is the map. Every step links to a guide that goes deeper.
The short version
- You are proving three things: a current condition, an in-service event, and a link between them.
- File an Intent to File first. It protects your start date for pay while you gather evidence.
- VA will usually send you to a C&P exam. That exam carries a lot of weight.
- VA reported an average of 68.4 days to finish a disability claim in August 2026. Yours can be faster or slower.
- If the decision is wrong, you have three review options and usually one year to pick one.
On this page
The three things every VA disability claim has to prove
Almost every VA disability claim for service connection comes down to the same three elements. If VA denies a claim, it is nearly always because it found one of these missing.
| Element | What it means | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Current condition | A diagnosed disability, or symptoms that limit you, right now | Recent medical records, a diagnosis, a DBQ |
| In-service event | Something happened in service: an injury, illness, exposure or stressor | Service treatment records, personnel records, buddy statements |
| Nexus (the link) | A medical connection between the two | A medical opinion, a C&P exam, or a legal presumption |
Some claims skip the third element. If your condition is presumptive (for example, under the PACT Act or for Agent Orange), VA assumes the link once you show qualifying service. See the PACT Act guide.
Step 1: File an Intent to File
An Intent to File tells VA you plan to file. It takes minutes and it locks in a potential start date for your pay. You then have one year to submit the full claim. If you do nothing else this week, do this. Details: Intent to File.
Step 2: Build your evidence
Before you file a VA disability claim, pull together what VA will look for:
- Your service treatment records and DD214
- Medical records since service, VA and private
- A statement in your own words about what happened and how it affects you
- Statements from people who saw it, called buddy statements
- A nexus letter, if the link is not obvious from your records
Use the evidence checklist to see what applies to you.
Step 3: File the claim
The VA disability claim itself is VA Form 21-526EZ. Most veterans file it online at VA.gov. You can also file by mail, in person, or through an accredited representative. Our step-by-step filing guide walks through the form. If you are still on active duty, look at a BDD claim instead.
Step 4: VA reviews and gathers evidence
After you file, your claim moves through eight steps that you can watch on VA.gov or the VA mobile app:
- Claim received
- Initial review
- Evidence gathering
- Evidence review
- Rating
- Preparing decision letter
- Final review
- Claim decided
Claims can move backward, most often from step 4 to step 3 when VA decides it needs more evidence. That is normal. See how long a claim takes.
Step 5: The C&P exam
For most claims VA orders a Compensation and Pension exam. The examiner is not treating you. They are filling out a form that the rater will rely on. Missing the exam without rescheduling can get the claim denied. Read the C&P exam guide before you go.
Step 6: The rating decision
A rater reviews the file and decides two things for each condition: whether it is service connected, and how disabling it is, from 0% to 100% in steps of 10. To see how your condition is rated, start with ratings by condition. Your individual ratings are then combined using VA math, which is not simple addition. The decision arrives as a letter. Learn to read it here: your rating decision letter, or have the decision letter decoder pull out each decision for you.
Step 7: Pay starts, including back pay
Monthly VA disability pay is set by your combined rating and your dependents. See the 2026 pay rates. You are also owed back pay to your effective date, usually the date VA received your claim or Intent to File. See VA back pay.
Step 8: If the decision is wrong
You are not stuck with a denial or a low rating. You generally have one year from the decision date to choose one of three paths:
- Supplemental Claim, if you have new and relevant evidence
- Higher-Level Review, if you think VA made an error on the evidence it already had
- Board Appeal, if you want a Veterans Law Judge to decide
Start with what to do after a denial.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to file until everything is perfect, and losing months of back pay
- Filing with no current diagnosis
- Skipping the C&P exam or describing only your best days
- Letting the one-year deadline pass after a decision
You do not have to do this alone
Accredited Veterans Service Officers help with VA disability claims for free. See who can help with your claim.
Not sure where to begin? The Start Here page sorts every guide by where you are in the process.
Not sure whether you qualify? Read who is eligible. If the vocabulary is new, the glossary explains every term and form.
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.