• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military and Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor: Benefits, History and Facts
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • VA Loan Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • 2022 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
  • Money & Finance
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • 2022 Defense Budget
    • 2022 Military Pay
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • COLA Watch 2022-2023
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits
Home » Intent To File (Informal Claim)

Intent To File (Informal Claim)

When you apply for VA disability benefits, you won’t be awarded your benefits on the same day you apply. It takes time to process, evaluate, and make a determination on a claim. The VA official site reminds that it can take up to 130 days or more to make a decision on an individual claim.

That’s one reason why the application process includes a concept called “intent to file,” which helps establish the earliest date your benefits may start.

Intent To File Informal ClaimThat is important because if there is a delay in getting a veteran their compensation, the date of your intent to file can act as the date by which your overdue benefits should be paid retroactively.

Just telling the VA you want to initiate a claim is not the same as giving the VA notice of your intent to file, as we’ll explore below.

But first, it’s very important to know that this process may be used for VA compensation, VA pensions, and also VA Survivors Pension and Dependency and indemnity Compensation. Our focus for this article is the VA medical claims process, but keep in mind the other uses for this form, too.


The Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Process

When you initiate a claim with the VA, the date your claim is filed is the date your benefits should begin, and you may have benefits paid retroactively to that date. In typical cases the process requires the following steps:

  • Determine if you are eligible to make a VA claim
  • Collect your supporting documentation (medical records, related paperwork)
  • Check with the VA to ensure you know all the forms needed for your VA claim
  • Submit your claim and provide any additional documentation the VA may ask for
  • Wait for the VA determination

The date you submit to the VA can be used as your date of “intent to file”. In cases like these, that intent is established by the filing of the paperwork.

But what about situations where all your records, documentation, and supporting evidence aren’t readily available? What if it takes you weeks or even months to get what you need to properly submit your claim?

It hardly seems fair to penalize someone for having to wait on these things. If you know you’re going to file a claim with the VA, will you really be forced to accept a smaller initial benefit payment just because you can’t properly submit your claim as soon as possible?

That’s where the VA Intent To File form comes in.

The VA Intent To File Process

As the VA official site points out, simply starting a claim process is not what it takes to notify the VA of your intent to file. If you submit a formal application, you’ve made a formal claim, but in cases where you can’t do that right away, the VA requires an informal claim instead. That lets the VA give you the date of your intent to file as the date your benefits should begin, retroactively if your claim is approved.

Filing your VA claim online does not require a separate Intent To File form. There is one automatically provided. But if you submit your claim in other ways, you should submit the form as early as you can.

What You Need To File

When you submit a notice to the Department of Veterans Affairs that you intend to file a claim, VA regulations require that these basics be met:

  • Your intent to file must contain personal data that allows the VA to formality recognize you as an eligible veteran
  • The intent to file must contain information about the benefits you are claiming
  • The Intent to File must generally contain a signature when not submitted by phone.

This information is generally conveyed by a specific VA form.

The VA Intent To File Form

In order to submit your VA Intent to File, you will need to use VA Form 21-0966. This form requires your name, Social Security Number, VA Claim Number, and other identifying information. You can mail this form to:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444

You can also turn the form over to the VA in person at any VA Regional Office. But there is also an option to notify by phone. Call the VA directly at 1-800-827-1000, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.

You Can File In Person

The VA official site reminds applicants they don’t have to use the phone or U.S. mail to submit an Intent to File; you can also go in person to any VA Regional Benefit office.

When notifying in person you may be required to show documentation proving your military service, so it’s best to bring your ID, DD Form 214 and other documents that establish that you have qualifying military service.

Find a VA Regional Benefit Office near you.

Benefits Of Using A VA Intent To File

As mentioned above, the most obvious benefit to using a VA Intent to File form is that you could potentially get more money based on an earlier claim date. But there are other benefits to using an Intent to File.

For example, what happens if there is a technical glitch in your claims process and you must show proof of when your claim date was established?

That is where your copy of a VA Form 21-0966 would prove to be invaluable. Such a form is not something you might be able to get copies of from the National Archives–if you are in an active claim situation the National Archives won’t have that paperwork on file.

That is why it is so important to safeguard all your military discharge and claims paperwork—expect the unexpected all the way through the VA claim process.

How Long Do I Have To File My VA Claim?

The Department of Veterans Affairs official site advises applicants they have up to one year from the date of your Intent to File to submit a formal VA benefits claim. According to the official site, the submission process “also allows VA to award backdated benefits from the date of your diagnosis or treatment”.

That means your Intent to File (not your full claim)  must be submitted within a year of the treatment or diagnosis. Following that, “your required claim form needs to be filed within one year”.

Filing Your Claim With Assistance

If you need help with a VA claim or a VA Intent to Claim, remember that veteran service organizations, veteran legal firms, and other resources may be able to help you. You can also call the Department of Veterans Affairs directly at 1-800-821-1000 to get more information.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


Related Articles
VA Disability Claims Types of Disability Compensation
Disability Benefits Questionnaires Service Treatment Records (STRs)
Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL) Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL)

Military + Veteran Discounts

Want 30+ Mil/Vet discounts to use today? Enter your email for updates and we'll send it!
Name(Required)

VA Home Loans

Popular Articles

2022 VA Disability Rates

2022 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

VA Loan Calculator

2022 BAH Rates

Search Veteran.com

Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Copyright © 2022 Three Creeks Media, LLC

Veteran.com is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither Veteran.com nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on Veteran.com is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on Veteran.com should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs , the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertising Notice: Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com; For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com.