Official Links & Forms
VA Resources, Forms & Official Links
Every official form, government link, and organization you will need — organized in one place so you are not hunting through VA.gov at midnight before a deadline. All links go directly to the source.
Claims & Benefits Forms
File, Appeal, and Request
These are the forms that drive the VA system. Each one has a specific purpose — using the wrong form for the wrong purpose causes delays and can affect your effective date.
Initial Claim
VA Form 21-526EZ — Disability Compensation Claim
The primary form for filing an initial disability compensation claim or for adding new conditions to an existing claim. File online through VA.gov for the fastest processing, or download and mail. Filing online also creates a date-stamped record immediately.
File Online at VA.gov →
Intent to File
VA Form 21-0966 — Intent to File
Establishes your effective date up to one year before you file your complete claim. If you need time to gather evidence, file an Intent to File first — it protects your back-pay start date while you build your evidence package. Takes minutes to file online.
File Intent to File →
TDIU
VA Form 21-8940 — TDIU Application
Application for Total Disability Individual Unemployability. Asks for your 5-year employment history, education level, and description of how service-connected conditions prevent you from working. File alongside your disability claim or separately.
View & Download Form →
Dependents
VA Form 21-686c — Add Dependents
Required to add a spouse or children to your VA disability compensation. If your rating is 30% or higher and you have dependents not on file, you are leaving money unclaimed every month. File this now.
Download Form →
Supplemental Appeal
VA Form 20-0995 — Supplemental Claim
File a Supplemental Claim when you have new and relevant evidence — a nexus letter, private DBQ, or medical records not previously submitted. This is the most common first appeal lane and typically resolves in 4 to 5 months.
Learn More & File →
HLR Appeal
VA Form 20-0996 — Higher-Level Review
Request review by a senior VA rater when you believe the original rater made a legal, factual, or procedural error. No new evidence is allowed. Request the optional informal conference — most veterans skip it and it frequently makes the difference.
Learn More & File →
BVA Appeal
VA Form 10182 — Board Appeal
Appeal directly to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Choose from Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or Hearing Request dockets. Get representation before filing — BVA proceedings involve legal argument that benefits from professional help.
Learn More & File →
Records
VA Form 3288 — C-File Request
Request your complete VA claims file — the full record of everything the VA has ever received or generated regarding your claim. Essential reading before any appeal. Expect 30 to 90 days for processing. Request as soon as you receive an unfavorable decision.
Request Records →
Military Records
DD-214 / SF-180 — Service Records Request
Request your discharge document and service treatment records from the National Personnel Records Center. Use the eVetRecs online system for fastest processing. Specify Member 4 copy of DD-214 for benefits purposes.
Request via NPRC →
Healthcare
VA Form 10-10EZ — Healthcare Enrollment
Enroll in VA healthcare. Most veterans with a service-connected disability qualify. Veterans at 50% or higher pay no copays for any VA care. File online — it takes about 30 minutes and there is no reason to wait.
Enroll Online →
CHAMPVA
VA Form 10-10d — CHAMPVA Application
Apply for CHAMPVA healthcare for your dependents if you hold Permanent and Total status. Mail to the VA Health Administration Center in Denver — not your Regional Office. Processing takes 8 to 12 weeks from a complete application.
Apply for CHAMPVA (Form 10-10d) →
Claim Tracking
VA.gov — Claim and Appeal Status
Track the status of your disability claim, appeal, or decision review in real time. Status updates as your claim moves through stages — evidence gathering, review, preparation for decision, and decision. Check here before calling the 800 number.
Check Status →
Records — Online
eVetRecs — Military Records Request
The National Archives online system for requesting DD-214, service treatment records, and other military personnel records. Faster than mailing SF-180. Requires identity verification. Specify Member 4 copy of DD-214.
Submit Request Online →
Healthcare Portal
MyHealtheVet — VA Patient Portal
Your VA health record, prescription refills, secure messaging to your care team, appointment scheduling, and the Blue Button health summary download. A Premium account (free) provides full access. Essential for active VA healthcare users.
Access MyHealtheVet →
PACT Act
PACT Act — Toxic Exposure Benefits
The 2022 PACT Act is the largest expansion of veteran benefits in decades — presuming service connection for dozens of cancers and conditions for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxins. Check the full condition list even if you have filed before.
See Full Condition List →
Mental Health
Vet Center Locator
Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers separate from VA medical centers — often easier to access and less intimidating. Free counseling for PTSD, MST, readjustment, and more, regardless of discharge status. Find one near you.
Find a Vet Center →
Free Representation & Help
VSOs, Attorneys, & Community
You do not have to navigate this system alone. Free, accredited help is available at every stage — from initial filing through the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
VSO — Free
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
One of the most active and effective VSOs. DAV provides free claims assistance, appeals support, and their National Service Officers are accredited to represent you at every level of the VA system including the BVA. They also run a free transportation network to VA appointments.
DAV.org →
VSO — Free
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Free claims assistance from accredited Service Officers nationwide. The VFW has a strong track record on initial claims and Supplemental Claims. Their service officers can submit claims on your behalf and receive correspondence from the VA directly.
VFW.org →
VSO — Free
American Legion
The largest veterans service organization in the U.S. with free claims assistance and representation at all levels of appeal. American Legion Service Officers are accredited and can file claims, submit evidence, and represent you at Regional Office hearings.
Legion.org →
VSO — Free
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Specializes in spinal cord injury and dysfunction, neurological conditions, and respiratory disease. Free accredited representation with particular depth of expertise in complex physical disability claims. Open to all veterans regardless of the specific disability.
PVA.org →
Legal — Contingency
Find an Accredited VA Attorney
VA-accredited attorneys can represent you at the BVA and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). They work on contingency — a percentage of retroactive back pay only if the appeal succeeds. No out-of-pocket cost if the appeal fails. For BVA and above, legal representation is strongly advisable.
Find Accredited Attorney →
State Help
State Veterans Service Officers (SVSOs)
Every state has a State Department of Veterans Affairs with free accredited service officers. SVSOs often have more capacity than national VSOs for complex local cases. Find your state's DVAO through your governor's website or the NASDVA directory.
Find Your State DVA →
Community
r/VeteransBenefits — Reddit
One of the most active online communities for VA claims, ratings, and benefits. Many 100% P&T veterans share their experiences and help others navigate the system. Particularly useful for unusual situations and for learning what has worked for veterans with similar conditions.
Visit Community →
Community
r/Veterans — Reddit
Broader veteran community covering claims, healthcare, transition, employment, and general veteran life topics. Less focused on benefits than r/VeteransBenefits but a large and supportive community.
Visit Community →
Crisis Support
Veterans Crisis Line — 988, Press 1
Confidential crisis support from trained responders who understand military culture, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. If you or someone you know is struggling, please use this resource.
VeteransCrisisLine.net →
Regulations & Rulemaking
Track the Rules as They Change
The VA changes the regulations that govern your rating through public rulemaking — every proposed and final rule is published in the Federal Register before it takes effect. Watching this feed is how veterans and advocates see rating-schedule and presumptive changes coming, and how the public gets a window to comment before they become law.
Federal Register
Department of Veterans Affairs — Agency Page
The official Federal Register page for the VA — a running feed of every proposed rule, final rule, and notice the department publishes. This is where rating-schedule revisions, new presumptive conditions, and procedural changes appear first. Subscribe to the email or RSS feed to be notified the moment the VA proposes a change.
View VA Documents →
Open for Comment
VA Proposed Rules — Public Comment
Proposed rules that have not yet taken effect, each with an open comment period. Before the VA finalizes a change to the rating schedule or a benefit, the public — including individual veterans — has a legal right to submit comments the agency must consider. Read what is being proposed and when comments are due.
See Proposed Rules →
Submit Comment
Regulations.gov — Comment on VA Rules
The federal portal where you actually submit a public comment on a proposed VA rule. Search by the docket or RIN number listed in the Federal Register notice. A well-supported comment from an affected veteran genuinely carries weight in the rulemaking record.
Submit a Comment →
Key Phone Numbers
When You Need to Call
General VA
VA Benefits Hotline
1-800-827-1000. Monday through Friday, 8am to 9pm Eastern. General claims questions, status inquiries, and routing to the correct department. Have your Social Security number ready.
Healthcare
VA Health Benefits Hotline
1-877-222-8387. Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern. Healthcare enrollment, priority group questions, and Community Care referral issues.
BVA
Board of Veterans' Appeals
1-800-923-8387. Status on pending BVA appeals, hearing scheduling questions, and BVA-related inquiries. Separate from the general VA benefits line.
Records
National Personnel Records Center
1-314-801-0800. Questions about military records requests, status of pending requests, and what to do when records have not been located.
SBP / Pay
DFAS — Defense Finance and Accounting
1-800-321-1080. Survivor Benefit Plan questions, military retired pay, and concurrent receipt issues. Administers SBP separately from the VA.
Crisis
Veterans Crisis Line
988 then Press 1. Text 838255. Chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Available 24/7. Confidential. If you are in crisis, this is the call to make.