PREPARE FOR YOUR VSO APPOINTMENT

On this page: What to bring · Downloads · Understanding the VSO process · Questions · After the event · Official VA resources · Event info

Come anyway

Nothing is required to attend. If you can’t find your DD-214, come anyway. VA can request it for you when you apply, and VA explains other ways to ask for it.

About your private information

VETEFITS never asks for your Social Security number, claim number, disability rating, diagnosis or medical records.

An accredited representative may ask for your Social Security number on a VA form. The Intent to File form asks for it, and so does the form for adding dependents. You give it to the representative, on the government’s form, and never to us.

Don’t send your records, your Social Security number or your bank details by email to anyone at VETEFITS.

A Veterans Service Organization (VSO) is a group that helps veterans with VA claims. A service officer is the person you talk to. Each Colorado county also has a veterans service office that offers free help. We are arranging for service officers from county veterans offices and veterans organizations to be there on November 14.

If you meet with a service officer, plan on about 20 minutes. The goal is to start your claims process with an Intent to File, if you want one, and a hand-off. Bring your DD-214 and your biggest question, and leave knowing who will represent you.

These steps can help you use the time well:

Understanding Intent to File

An Intent to File tells VA that you plan to file a claim. It can set a possible start date for your benefits, called an effective date.

How to do it. You can do it online, by phone, by mail with VA Form 21-0966, or in person. If you start a disability claim online while signed in, VA sets the date for you. You don’t need a separate form. It covers disability compensation, pension, and survivors’ benefits (Survivors Pension and D.I.C.). Read VA’s page on Intent to File.

How VA disability claims generally work

Every claim is different. These are the general steps.

For an original claim, VA generally needs to see three things: a current physical or mental condition, an event, injury or illness in service, and a link between the two. For some conditions, VA presumes the link, so you don’t have to prove it. These are called presumptive conditions. The PACT Act added many for toxic exposures.

1. Get help if you want it. Choose a representative, if you want one. You appoint a VSO on VA Form 21-22, or an attorney or claims agent on VA Form 21-22a. Read the form first. It lets the group act for you with VA and see your records. You can change your mind later.
2. Protect your date. Think about an Intent to File if you need time.
3. Gather what you have. This can include records from doctors and statements from you or people who know you. You don’t have to wait for every paper. VA says you don’t have to send evidence with your claim, and it gives you up to a year after it receives your claim to turn evidence in.
4. File the claim. Use VA Form 21-526EZ, or file online, by mail, in person, or with a representative. Some people file a “fully developed claim” and send everything at once. VA moves it to a standard claim if it needs more records.
5. VA gathers evidence. VA reviews what you sent and may ask for more. It can request some records for you. Read every letter from VA.
6. You may have a claim exam. VA or a contractor schedules this by letter, phone or email. Some exams are by phone or video. Others are in person. Don’t miss it. Missing an exam can delay your claim, and VA may decide using only the evidence it has. In some cases a claim can be denied. If you can’t go, tell your representative and contact the scheduler right away. VA’s page explains how to reschedule.
7. VA decides and sends a letter. You can read the decision letter online, and VA mails a copy. Read how VA reached its decision.

How long does it take? It varies. It depends on the type of claim, how many conditions you claimed, how complex they are, and how long it takes to collect evidence. VA posts a current average on its page. An average is not a promise.

After filing

• Watch your mail and email. VA or a contractor may contact you.
• Answer letters. You generally don’t need to do anything unless VA asks for more.
• Go to your exams.
• Keep copies of everything you send, and note the date you sent it.
• Check your status in the claim status tool. It shows your claim’s status and the evidence on file. Papers that you mailed, faxed or brought in may not show there, so check with VA about those.
• Update your address with VA if you move, and tell your representative.
• Know that new evidence can add time. If you send more after VA has finished gathering evidence, your claim can return to that step.

If you disagree with a decision

If you disagree with a VA decision, you have three choices. Your best choice depends on whether you have new evidence and how long ago the decision was. A representative can help. Look at the date on your decision letter.

• Supplemental Claim. You send new and relevant evidence for VA to review. There is no fixed deadline, but filing within 1 year of your decision letter can keep your effective date.
• Higher-Level Review. A senior reviewer looks at the same evidence for an error or a difference of opinion. Ask within 1 year of your decision letter.
• Board Appeal. A Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals reviews your case. Generally within 1 year of your decision letter. For contested claims, 60 days.

How long a review takes varies by choice. VA posts its goals on each page linked above. Decisions dated before February 19, 2019 may follow older rules. Ask your representative.