How to Fill Out a VA Application Form

By Kayla Lowe

If you served in the military and acquired a disability while in service or had a condition that may have been worsened by the service, you could be eligible for a Department of Veterans Affairs pension or compensation plan. Before you can begin receiving VA benefits, though, you first have to fill out a VA application form so that the agency can determine your eligibility for benefits.

Locate and download VA Form 21-526, which is the application for compensation and/or benefits form. Determine whether you are applying for compensation, pension or both. Compensation is usually for a disability that is service-related; pension is for non-service-related causes and based on your income.

The pension is a benefit paid to wartime veterans who have limited or no income, and who are age 65 or older, or, if under 65, who are permanently and totally disabled. You must have served at least 90 days of active service, one day of which was during a war time period. If you entered active duty after Sept. 7, 1980, generally you must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty. There are exceptions to this rule, according to the VA.

Fill out the general information, compensation and dependency sections if you are applying for compensation, and fill out the general information, dependency and pension sections if you are applying for a pension. Fill out all sections if you are applying for both.

Fill out the general information section by listing information about when you served as well as any current VA benefits you receive. Attach your DD214 military separation papers to this section.

Fill out the compensation section by listing all disabilities you are claiming are related to your service, and attach medical records proving your disabilities and treatment of them. If the military treated you for them while in the service, list the dates and places treatment occurred.

Fill out the dependency section by listing your spouse, previous marriages, children and whether any of your children live with you or not. Attach copies of your marriage certificate and/or divorce decree to this section. Attach copies of birth certificates of your dependent children as well.

Fill out the pension section by providing all financial income sources as well as your employment and training history. List any disabilities indicating why you are deemed unemployable and list any nursing home information as well. Attach proof of your disabilities and your nursing home residency and expenses to this section as well.

Mail your completed VA application form to your closest Department of Veterans Affairs office.

Go to your nearest VA office if you need assistance in filling out your VA application form. VA case officers there can assist you.

File your VA application form online through the VA's VONAPP service for faster processing.

Never falsify information on your VA application because that is considered fraud and you can be prosecuted for doing so.

The time it takes the VA to make a decision on your claim varies depending upon how many claims it has received. Oftentimes, it can take from six months to a year to receive a decision.

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