7 Things Every Veteran Should Know About Filing a VA Disability Claim

I wish someone had told me these before I filed. A few of them cost me time I didn't need to lose.

Document everything as it happens. Don't wait until the year before your EAS to remember a list of issues. An IED incident, hearing loss from a loud environment: get it written down close to when it happened. I ended up needing a buddy letter years later just to confirm my own hearing loss was service-connected, because I didn't document it at the time.

Get buddy letters when there's no paper trail. A letter from someone who was there can back up an incident that never made it into a medical record. Reach out to old teammates. It matters more than you'd think.

Claim the secondary issues too, not just the obvious injury. I only claimed back pain at first and missed that the numbness in my legs was connected to it. Follow the injury all the way down.

Learn how VA rates conditions. VA.gov lays out the process. Look up VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 CFR Part 4, which VA publishes as "38 CFR Book C"). Knowing it helps you describe your symptoms in the terms VA uses.

File before you get out, or at least within a year. Through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program, you can file 180 to 90 days before your separation date and get your rating sooner. If you file within one year of separation, your benefits can start from the day after discharge. After a year, they only start from the date you file, and the back pay in between is gone. If you need more time, file an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966), which holds your date for up to a year.

Find a Veterans Service Officer. They're free, and they know what to look for in your records that you might miss.

Be careful with anyone who wants to charge you. It's against federal law for anyone to charge a fee to help you file your initial claim. Only VA-accredited attorneys and agents can charge, and generally only after VA makes its first decision. If someone asks for money up front, walk away.

Or use a tool built for exactly this. ValorAI helps organize your records, flags evidence gaps before you file, and walks you through the PACT Act's presumptive conditions, so you show up to a VSO or accredited rep already prepared instead of starting from zero. It doesn't file the claim for you or guarantee a rating. It just means you're not guessing.

Full disclosure: I helped create ValorAI with a buddy from the military, and I've invested in it. I also used it on my own VA claim.

One last thing: claim what you earned, not the highest number you can reach. Be thorough, be honest, and you'll get what you're owed. And for the education side of what you earned, see How to Get the Most Out of Your GI Bill.

Always do your research to ensure the platform aligns with your financial goals and investment style.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should be verified independently. See the full Disclaimer.