Download the VA form you need — then submit it with confidence
Here is how I want you to use this page: grab the official, up-to-date form, fill it out on your own or with my help, and follow the plain-English instructions I wrote so it reaches the VA the right way the first time.
Three steps, start to finish
Download the form
Every button below links straight to the current official VA PDF, pulled from VA.gov so you are never working off an outdated version that gets your claim kicked back. Save it to your device before you start, because it opens as a fillable form you can type directly into, sign, and keep a clean copy of for your own records. Working off the current form is not a small detail — the VA rejects old editions, and that costs you weeks.
Fill it out
Fill it out at your own pace — you can complete it yourself, or ask Albert, the on-site assistant, any question the moment you get stuck instead of guessing and hoping. Not sure which form even applies to your situation, or what a specific field is really asking for? Just ask. A form filled out wrong, or the wrong form entirely, is one of the most common reasons a good claim stalls, so it is worth getting right the first time.
Submit it to the VA
When it is done and signed, get it to the VA the way that works for you — upload it online through QuickSubmit for the fastest turnaround and a confirmation number you can hold onto, or mail, fax, or hand-deliver it if you would rather have a paper trail. Full step-by-step submission instructions are right below. My advice: whichever route you choose, keep a copy of everything you send and note the date, because the date the VA receives it can protect your effective date and your back pay.
Find your form by category
Every link here goes straight to the current, official VA PDF — no middleman, no outdated editions, no cost. I grouped them by what you are actually trying to do, whether that is filing a new claim, appealing a decision, adding dependents, or applying for pension, so you can put your hands on the right one fast instead of scrolling through dozens of numbers. Grab the one you need, and if you are not sure which that is, ask before you file.
File or increase a claim
Start a disability claim, file for a rating increase or unemployability, lock in your effective date, or add supporting evidence.
Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits
The main form to file a disability compensation claim for a service-connected condition.
Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DIC
Locks in your effective date so back pay is protected while you gather everything for a full claim.
Statement in Support of Claim
Add a written statement, explanation, or extra details to support any claim.
Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability
Apply for TDIU — a 100% pay rate when service-connected conditions keep you from holding steady work, even if your combined rating is under 100%.
Employment Information in Connection with Claim for Disability Benefits
Your former employer fills this out to document the work you did and why it ended — key supporting evidence for a TDIU claim.
Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance
Your doctor completes this to support a claim for Aid & Attendance or Housebound benefits — extra monthly money when you need help with daily living.
Dependents & family
Add or remove a spouse, child, or dependent parent, and keep your dependents on file up to date.
Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents
Add a spouse, child, or dependent parent to your compensation — or remove one after a divorce or death — so your monthly amount is correct.
Request for Approval of School Attendance
Keep a child aged 18–23 on your benefits by certifying they're a full-time student, so you keep the added dependent pay.
Pension & survivors
Needs-based pension for wartime veterans and benefits for surviving spouses, children, and parents.
Application for Veterans Pension
Needs-based monthly benefit for wartime veterans with limited income and assets.
Application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits
For surviving spouses and children of a veteran who died from a service-connected condition or while receiving VA benefits.
Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by Parent(s)
For a surviving parent who depended on a veteran who died from a service-connected condition — a monthly, income-based DIC benefit.
Application for Accrued Amounts Due a Deceased Beneficiary
Claim benefits the VA already owed a veteran or beneficiary that hadn't been paid at the time of their death.
Income and Asset Statement in Support of Claim for Pension or Parents' DIC
The financial worksheet that goes with a pension or parents' DIC claim — it reports the income and assets the VA uses to set your rate.
Medical Expense Report
Report out-of-pocket medical costs so the VA can deduct them from your countable income — which often raises your pension payment.
Burial & memorial
Burial allowance, headstones and markers, medallions, and Presidential Memorial Certificates.
Application for Burial Benefits
For a surviving family member to claim a burial allowance toward funeral, burial, and transportation costs after a veteran's death.
Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker
Request a free government headstone or marker for the grave of an eligible veteran.
Claim for Government Medallion for Placement in a Private Cemetery
Request a bronze medallion to affix to an existing privately purchased headstone, marking the deceased as a veteran.
Presidential Memorial Certificate Request
Request an engraved certificate signed by the President honoring an eligible veteran's service — a keepsake for the family.
Health care
Enroll in VA health care and set your priority group.
Application for Health Benefits
Enroll in VA health care — this is the form that sets your priority group.
Education, home loan & careers
GI Bill, dependents' education, home-loan eligibility, and VR&E.
Application for VA Education Benefits
Apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and most other education programs.
Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance
Education benefits for eligible spouses and children (DEA / Chapter 35).
Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
The COE proves to your lender that you qualify for a VA-backed home loan.
Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) Application
Career counseling, training, and employment services for service-connected veterans.
Appoint a representative
Authorize a VSO or an accredited agent/attorney to work your claim.
Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative
Authorize a VSO (like the VFW, DAV, or American Legion) to represent you for free.
Appointment of Individual as Claimant's Representative
Authorize an accredited attorney or claims agent to represent you on your claim.
Don’t gamble your claim on the wrong appeal lane
Supplemental Claims, Higher-Level Reviews, and Board appeals each have their own rules, deadlines, and evidence limits — and picking the wrong one, or missing the one-year window, can cost you months of back pay or your entire case. This is not paperwork you want to guess at.
That’s exactly what we do. We’ll review your decision letter, tell you which review actually gives you the best shot, and build the evidence to win it — the first case evaluation is free, with no obligation.
Talk to a real accredited agent — not a call center.
Sending your completed form to the VA
Once your form is filled out and signed, you can get it to the VA any of these ways, and the method matters more than most veterans think. Online upload through QuickSubmit is usually the fastest and gives you a confirmation number the moment it lands, which is the proof you want if the VA ever claims it never arrived. Mail, fax, and hand-delivery all work too — just keep a dated copy of everything, because the date the VA receives your paperwork can lock in your effective date and the back pay that comes with it.
Option 1 — Upload it online (recommended)
Use the VA’s QuickSubmit tool to upload your completed PDF. Sign in with ID.me, Login.gov, DS Logon, or My HealtheVet. You can send up to 30 documents at once and get an instant tracking number. Many forms (like 21-526EZ and 10-10EZ) can also be filed directly through their online application — look for the “Apply online” button on the form above.
Open QuickSubmitOption 2 — By mail or fax
Send your form to the intake center that matches it. The exact address is also printed inside each form’s own instruction pages.
VA Claims Intake Center
Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center PO Box 4444 Janesville, WI 53547-4444VA Pension Intake Center
Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Intake Center PO Box 5365 Janesville, WI 53547-5365Health Eligibility Center
Health Eligibility Center 2957 Clairmont Road NE, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30329-1647NCA Evidence Intake Center (headstones, medallions & certificates)
Department of Veterans Affairs NCA FP Evidence Intake Center PO Box 5237 Janesville, WI 53547Education (22-1990, 22-5490), home-loan (26-1880), and VR&E (28-1900) forms are processed by a regional office that depends on your state — the correct address is listed inside each form. For these, filing online is faster.
Option 3 — In person
You can hand-deliver most forms to your nearest VA regional office, and health-care forms to any VA medical center. Bring a signed copy plus supporting documents like your DD214.
Find a VA locationTip: file an Intent to File first
Submitting VA Form 21-0966 locks in your effective date and can protect up to a year of back pay while you finish your full claim.
Want an expert to handle the paperwork?
Albert can help you pick the right form and answer your questions for free. And our accredited claims agents can review your case and file it correctly — the first evaluation is free, with no obligation.
VA Benefits Calculators links to official forms hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We are not affiliated with the VA. Always confirm you are using the current edition of a form on VA.gov before you file.
