Starting a VA disability claim generally involves a few concrete steps, regardless of which office helps you file. First, you file an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966), which locks in an effective date while you gather evidence. Then you submit the formal claim, usually VA Form 21-526EZ, along with supporting evidence: your service treatment records, any VA or private medical records showing a current diagnosis, and a nexus opinion linking the current condition to service if the connection isn't obvious from the record alone.
On representation: DAV, VFW, American Legion, and county or state Veteran Service Officers are all accredited VSOs, and any of them can help you file, request records, and submit evidence. VERA (Veterans Evaluation Rehabilitation Assistance, or similar regional outreach programs) is not a VSO in the same sense — it's typically a facilitation or referral point, not a formal claims representative. You are not required to use only one; you can work with a VSO of your choice, and you're always allowed to switch representatives if one office is unresponsive.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Regarding a long gap in treatment after service: the law does not require continuous treatment to establish service connection. What matters is (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or illness, and (3) a medical nexus connecting the two. A 25-year gap makes the nexus harder to establish because there's less documentation, but it is not automatically disqualifying, especially for conditions like mental health issues where avoidance of treatment is a recognized symptom pattern. Buddy statements from people who knew you before and after service, a personal statement describing your symptoms over time, and a nexus letter from a private or VA physician addressing the gap directly can all help.
At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, across issues decided from 1992 to July 2026, service-connection issues (2,302,001) came out 18.8% granted, 30.2% denied and 45.7% remanded (VetAid's Board outcome rates). These are outcomes for cases that were already appealed, not the odds of winning an initial claim, and appealed cases are not a random sample of all claims.
The concrete next step is to file the Intent to File now if you haven't already, then submit the formal claim with whatever records and statements you can gather while continuing to pursue a nexus letter, rather than waiting on any single office to initiate the process for you.
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Analyze Your Claim FreeVetAid is a free veterans claims tool, not a VA-accredited representative — it does not file anything with VA for you, and it works alongside your accredited VSO, claims agent or attorney. About VetAid