How Do I File For Disability Benefits?
To show that you have a disability linked with an incident in military service, VA needs your status for the reasons of VA disablity benefits. It means you meet the minimum service requirement based on the time you were on active duty and got discharged from service other than Dishonorable.
How To File For VA Disability Benefits Claim
The VA provides veterans with a variety of methods through which they can file a disability claim. Claimants can file their claim via mail using VA Form 21-526EZ. They can also visit their local VA Regional Office to file a claim. The application needs accurate and detailed information about the veteran, their active duty time in the military, medical conditions, and their dependents (if any).
To show that you meet the veteran’s status, a DD-214 form copy is usually enough. A service discharge other than Dishonorable is needed, and often a minimum service requirement should be met.
Next, you must include data regarding your disability(s) for which you seek entitlement to military service connection. Submitting copies of your complete medical records or informing VA where they can get them is essential in filing for your disability benefits. Identifying the name and treatment dates of veterans treated at any VA Medical Center or VA medical facility will enable VA to link those records with your application file.
Finally, veterans must prove how their disability is associated with their active duty service. Although getting a medical nexus opinion for all conditions isn't necessary, you must at least give VA some basic information about why you think there’s a service connection for every condition you claim.
Get Help In Filing Your Disability Benefits Claim
Filing a VA disability benefits claim can be frustrating and confusing. The rules concerning who is eligible for the benefits are complex, and the evidence needed for a successful appeal or claim can be daunting.
In the past, VA didn’t allow lawyers to be involved until the claim process had started. The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) has updated the rules concerning legal representation, and now VA-accredited lawyers can guide in more ways than before. After filing your initial disability claim, an experienced attorney can assist you with filing a Supplemental Claim and appeals of every VA decision, no matter how long it’s been since your first disability benefits claim.
