Correct EP Use and Work Measurement

1. EPs - General Principles

Introduction

This topic contains general principles for end products (EPs), including

• correct EP use and work measurement
• establishing and maintaining EP control
• correct date of claim
• unadjudicated discovered claims
• more than one EP should not be taken for any specific issue, and
• third digit modifiers
• concurrent compensation and pension rating claims, and
• rating EP for original claims.

Change Date

September 25, 2025

B.1.a. Correct EP Use and Work Measurement

The end product (EP) system is the primary workload monitoring and management tool for the Veterans Service Center (VSC), pension management center (PMC), Benefit Eligibility Support Team (BEST) sites, and fiduciary hubs (hubs).

• Correct use of the EP system facilitates proper control of pending workloads and appropriate work measurement credit.
• Correct work measurement is essential to substantiate proper staffing requirements and determine productive capacity.

Notes:

• Received and completed EPs are also used to formulate the annual budget submission to the Secretary, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the President, and Congress.
• EPs are not used to automatically assign work measurement credit for hubs. Hubs will continue to utilize the Automated Standardized Performance Elements Nationwide system to receive work measurement credit.

B.1.b. Establishing and Maintaining EP Control

Each claim should be promptly placed under EP control.

Exceptions are specifically identified in this appendix, when an EP should remain pending until all required actions on that claim have been completed.

Important: If it is discovered that EP credit is not warranted during claims processing, the EP should be cancelled, not cleared. A note must be added in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) when an EP is cancelled to explain the cancellation. Additionally, if a request has been submitted through the Personnel Information Exchange System (PIES) cancel the pending PIES request.

NOTE: If claims processor is unable to cancel the pending PIES request, users must send an email to PIES.VBARMC@va.gov requesting the cancellation of the PIES request and upload a copy of the e-mail to the eFolder.

Important: For PMCs and hubs, when it is discovered that an EP is incorrect, the PMC or hub should first attempt to perform a PCHG in Share or select the pencil icon to Update Claim Details in VBMS and attempt to make the necessary corrections before canceling the incorrect EP. If the EP cannot be modified with the necessary attributes, PMCs are authorized the use of an EP 930 as a work around to establish the correct EP.

References: For information on

• electronic claims folder notes, see the VBMS Core User Guide, and
• when a fiduciary accounting EP should be cleared versus cancelled, see FPM, Part I, 3.C.1.e.

B.1.c. Correct Date of Claim

General: For claims establishment purposes, the date of claim (DOC) is the earliest date the claim or information is received in any Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. This date should be identified from the earliest VA date stamp. For requirements on applications received

• prior to March 24, 2015, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.H, and
• on or after March 24, 2015, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.A.1.a.

For internal control reviews, the DOC is usually the date VA was made aware of the information that needs further action, unless otherwise specified.

For hub EPs, the DOC is generally a date prior to a follow-up diary coming due, unless otherwise specified. For hub accounting EPs, the DOC is generally the day after the accounting period end date unless otherwise specified in the FPM. The DOC of fund usage reviews is generally 30 days prior to the fund usage review date, unless otherwise specified in the FPM.

Exceptions:

• The DOC for pre-discharge claims is the first day following the anticipated date of release from active duty (RAD), regardless of the date VA received the claim (M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, 6.B).
• The DOC for the EP 590 that is used to control for the initial appointment of a fiduciary is the date that the finding of incompetency was authorized. When a proposal of incompetency is not required because of a judicial determination of incompetency the DOC is the date of authorization for the determination of incompetency.
• The DOC for EP 930 used in correcting an error is the date of the underlying EP that was called for the error.

Notes:

• Date stamps can be from any VA entity including, but not limited to, a Regional Office (RO), Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Records Management Center (RMC), or a contracted scanning vendor.
• Date stamps from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) are not considered official VA date stamps for DOC purposes.

References: For information on

• the control of missed fiduciary oversight actions, see FPM, Part I, 1.B.3.u
• prescribed VA standard forms, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.A.1
• what to do with documents that do not have a date stamp, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.B.1.b, and
• the requirement to stamp the date of receipt on all incoming documents, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.B.1.a.

B.1.d. Unadjudicated Discovered Claims

When an unadjudicated discovered claim is identified the earliest VA date stamp shown on the claim document should be used as the date of claim when establishing the EP for claim tracking purposes. This is to ensure that all claims receive proper attention and timely processing.

Note: For the purpose of determining date of claim, a claim document received on or after March 24, 2015, must be on a prescribed VA Form.

References: For information on

• claim form requirements
• prior to March 24, 2015, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.H, and
• on or after March 24, 2015, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.A.1.a
• informal claims received prior to March 24, 2015 see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.H, and
• intent to file, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.A.

B.1.e. More Than One EP Should Not be Taken for Any Specific Issue

More than one EP should not be taken for any specific issue unless noted in this appendix or specifically authorized by Compensation Service and/or Pension and Fiduciary (P&F) Service.

Exception: Companion EPs (e.g., 335) may exist with corresponding rating or non-rating EPs to track specific workload and claimants for reporting purposes.

The EP associated with a claim is used to control for all development, rating, and any award actions needed to resolve the claimed issue and any related issues. If an issue, claim, or need for evidence unrelated to the EP associated with the claim is noted then a separate EP may be used.

Examples:

A Veteran submits a claim to add a spouse to a pension award. An EP 130 is warranted. If development is needed for income information related to the claimed spouse, that development is completed under the EP 130. Since the action is related to the dependency issue (EP 130), a separate income related EP is not warranted.

However, if while the dependency claim is pending, an unrelated issue is raised by the claimant or discovered by the Veterans Service Representative, a separate EP is warranted. In our previous example, if while the dependency claim is pending, the Veteran notifies VA of a change in income (unrelated to the claimed dependent) then a separate EP 150 is warranted. Regardless of whether the two claims are resolved together, the PMC can take credit for both EPs.

B.1.f. Third Digit Modifiers

• Some EPs have designated modifiers, assigned for a specific case type which are shown in detail in Topic 2 of this appendix.
• Unless otherwise noted, an incremental (or sequential) EP is not authorized for rating claims.

Exceptions:

• Incremental (or sequential) Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) EPs (e.g., 031, 032, 033) are used to process multiple distinct copies of decision review requests when received on different dates and list different contentions.
• Example: A claimant submits a higher-level review (HLR) request for service connection for hearing loss in response t a decision and an EP 030 is established. A subsequent HLR is submitted for PTSD evaluation in response to a different decision and an EP 031 is established. A Decision Review Officer (DRO) reviews and adjudicates both claims in a single HLR rating decision and calls duty to assist (DTA) errors on both contentions. Caseflow will automatically establish an EP 040 for the first contention and EP 041 to address the other contention because the contentions stem from separate, HLR decisions. The contentions must remain on the separate EPs and adjudicated accordingly.
• EP 021 may also be used in Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) claims when additional contentions are received and there is already a pending EP 020.

Historical:

• Prior to October 1, 2017, the third digit modifier 1 was used to denote (BDD) claims. For more information on EPs for BDD claims, see M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, 6.B.
• Prior to May 1, 2017, the modifier 2 was used for radiation claims under 38 CFR 3.311. For more information on radiation claims, see M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 4.B.
• Prior to July 1, 2017, the modifier 6 was used for live compensation claims and appeals involving a foreign residence, residence in enemy territory, and cases involving an Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office address. Foreign claims are controlled with the corresponding EP and the Foreign Claim corporate flash. For more information on jurisdiction of foreign claim, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 3.1.
• Prior to October 1, 2017, the modifier 7 was used for PMC workload management, Quick Start (EP 117, 017, 027, and 297 only), and BDD (EP 297 only). For more information on EPs for pre-discharge claims, see M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, 6.B.
• Prior to October 1, 2017, the modifier 9 was used for Reopened Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims (029) and reopened service-connected (SC) death claims (029).

B.1.g. Concurrent Compensation and Pension Rating Claims

Effective August 23, 2019, separate rating EPs are required to control for compensation and pension rating claims pending simultaneously. This applies to claims received or discovered on or after August 23, 2019.

Historical: Prior to August 23, 2019, concurrent rating claims for both compensation and pension were controlled by a single compensation EP.

B.1.h. Rating EP for Original Claims

Effective August 23, 2019, separate original rating EPs are allowed the first time a claim for compensation or pension is filed. This applies to claims received or discovered on or after August 23, 2019.

Historical: Prior to August 23, 2019, only one original rating EP was allowed per Veteran regardless of the benefit claimed.