The “VA’s Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DIC (VA Form 21-0966)” is a tool that veterans and their families can use to obtain an earlier effective date for their VA claims. In this article, we will explain why this form is helpful and how to use it.
The VA’s Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DIC (VA Form 21-0966) can be found on the VA’s website. You can submit the completed form using one of three methods:
- Submit the form online.
- Submit the form by mail to this address:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Evidence Intake Center
P.O. Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444
- Submit the form in person at your local VA Regional Office.
Submitting the Intent to File form is helpful for two reasons.
First, this form notifies the VA of your intent to file a claim or a Supplemental Claim for these types of benefits:
- Disability compensation
- Pension benefits
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Second, it locks in the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive. This is important because it often takes months from the time you decide to file a claim, to the moment when you are actually ready to file the claim. This delay can be caused by medical issues, scheduling appointments, trouble collecting records, or a myriad of other reasons. The Intent to File form alleviates the stress of waiting for your claim to be ready to file, while preserving the earliest effective date possible. With an earlier effective date, you will likely receive a larger back award once the benefits are granted.
For example, if you submit an Intent to File form for disability compensation on March 29th, file the claim for disability compensation on July 15th, and it is granted on December 20th, the claim would have an effective date of March 29th for any retroactive benefits.
The Intent to File form does have notable limitations, however.
After you submit an Intent to File form, you have 1 year to complete and file your claim.
So, for the example above, if you submit an Intent to File form for disability compensation on March 29th, the actual claim must be submitted within one year of March 29th.
After you file your completed claim, your Intent to File will no longer be active. This means the VA will not use that Intent to File to determine the effective date for any other claims.
Also, if you submitted an Intent to File for one type of claim (like disability compensation), and you plan to file a claim for another benefit type (like pension benefits), you must submit a new Intent to File for the second benefit type.
To continue our previous example, (where you submitted an Intent to File form for disability compensation on March 29th, filed the claim for disability compensation on July 15th, and it was granted on December 20th, with an effective date of March 29th), let’s say you also submitted a second Intent to File for pension benefits on September 9th and filed the pension claim on November 30th. The effective date for the award of pension benefits would be September 9th. The date of the first Intent to File (March 29th)—which was for disability compensation and used for the July 15th claim—is not relevant to the second claim for pension (November 30th), so the effective date for the second pension claim would be based on the second pension Intent to File form (September 9th).
Contact us for Claim Assistance Now
The Intent to File form can be a useful tool to start your claim process and receive the earliest effective date for your retroactive payments, but it is important to keep in mind this tool’s limitations.
If you have filed an Intent to File form and been denied the effective date you deserve, contact Vets National for assistance in appealing. Our advocates are available to assist you in obtaining the benefits you deserve.
Contact us to reach our advocates today, or call 1 (877) 777-4021 to take the next step toward obtaining the VA disability benefits you deserve.
