Keep your intent-to-file date in view.
Record the date while you prepare your claim. See its calendar anniversary and keep a planning reference you can return to.
An intent to file holds a date for you while you put your VA claim together. This guide covers every way VA accepts one, what it protects and what it does not, when it expires, how to file the claim that follows, and how the date turns into an effective date and back pay.
How to file an intent to file with VA
VA accepts an intent to file for disability compensation, pension, and survivors pension or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Every method below reserves the same thing: a potential start date for benefits, counted from the day VA receives your intent to file.
| Method | How it works | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Online, with the intent to file form | Use VA's online intent to file tool (opens in a new tab) for VA Form 21-0966 | You sign in with an identity-verified Login.gov or ID.me account. VA says processing can take a few days in some cases, and it will tell you your potential effective date once it does |
| Online, by starting your claim | Start the disability application (VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in a new tab)) or a disability Supplemental Claim on VA.gov while signed in with a verified account | Starting the form notifies VA automatically, so you do not need a separate intent to file. You can save the application and finish it later |
| By phone | Call VA at 800-827-1000 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time | Say you want to submit an intent to file and name the benefit |
| By mail | Fill out VA Form 21-0966 and mail it to Department of Veterans Affairs, Evidence Intake Center, P.O. Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444 | The year runs from the day VA receives the form, not the day you sign or mail it |
| In person | Tell a VA regional office employee, or bring the signed form | Ask for proof that VA recorded it |
| Through an accredited representative | A VSO representative, accredited attorney or claims agent submits it for you | VA accepts it only if your power of attorney was already in place when the representative sent it |
VA's automatic intent to file does not cover DIC applications or Supplemental Claims for benefits other than disability. For those, VA says to submit a separate intent to file form.
What VA Form 21-0966 asks for
The form is short. VA needs enough information to identify you and the general benefit you plan to claim: compensation, pension, or survivors pension and DIC. You can check more than one benefit on the same form. You do not have to list your conditions. Under 38 CFR 3.155(b), listing conditions on the form does not turn it into a claim, and the intent to file counts the same either way.
You can download the PDF from VA's VA Form 21-0966 page (opens in a new tab) (the current revision is dated May 2026). If you would rather answer plain-English questions, Claim Raven's 21-0966 filler puts your answers on the official May 2026 edition and gives you a filled PDF to sign. It never asks for your Social Security number, VA file number, date of birth or signature; you write those in by hand. It is free with a Claim Raven account. You sign the PDF and send it to VA yourself.
If you are signing for someone else, VA's online tool asks for proof that you can: an Alternate Signer Certification (VA Form 21-0972) or an appointment of representative (VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a).
Should you file an intent to file first or file the claim now?
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Filing for disability compensation online | Start the online application. That start date is your intent to file. Save your progress and submit within one year |
| Filing on paper, or not ready to start the application | Submit an intent to file first by any method in the table above, then record the date |
| Filing for DIC, or a Supplemental Claim for a benefit other than disability | Submit a separate intent to file. The automatic online one does not apply |
| Planning a claim for a different benefit than an intent to file you already have | Submit a new intent to file for that benefit. One benefit's date does not carry over to another |
| Disagreeing with a decision VA already made | Check your review deadline on its own. An intent to file does not extend it |
| Still on active duty | VA's claims manual says an intent to file submitted during active duty just before discharge generally has no effect, because for direct service connection a claim received within a year after separation can already reach back to the day after separation. A pre-discharge claim may fit better |
How to find your intent to file date
After VA records an intent to file, it mails you a letter confirming the date it received your intent to file, the benefit you selected, the form you need to complete and the time limit for returning it. Keep that letter. It is your best proof of the date.
If you cannot find it, you have three ways to check:
- Call VA at 800-827-1000. VA's procedures direct the person you reach to check your record for an active intent to file and tell you the date VA received it.
- Ask your accredited representative, if you have one.
- Run VA Bridge. It imports an active intent to file for compensation from your own VA.gov account, along with its expiration date, and adds that date to your Claim Raven deadlines. With the Intent to File Expiring alert turned on in your Claim Raven settings, you also get an email before that date.
Then enter the date from VA's letter in the tracker above so its anniversary stays in front of you. The tracker saves the date in your browser. It does not notify VA or send reminders, so put the deadline in your own calendar too.
What an intent to file does and does not do
An intent to file sets a potential start date for your benefits. The rule is in 38 CFR 3.155(b): if VA receives a complete application for that benefit within one year of receiving your intent to file, VA treats the complete claim as filed on the date it received the intent to file. VA calls the money for that earlier period retroactive payments.
What it does
- Reserves a date of claim for the first complete claim you file for that benefit within one year.
- Covers disability compensation, pension, and survivors pension and DIC.
- Covers every condition in that first complete claim. One complete claim can contain many conditions, and all of them get the intent to file date as their date of claim.
- Can apply to a Supplemental Claim. The printed text of 38 CFR 3.155 still says the intent to file rule does not apply to Supplemental Claims, but VA's claims manual says a federal court invalidated that part of the rule in 2021 (Military-Veterans Advocacy v. Secretary of Veterans Affairs). An intent to file may now apply to Supplemental Claims that were not finally decided on or after July 30, 2021. If your Supplemental Claim comes within a year of a decision, read the Hoffman v. Collins section on this page and Claim Raven's Hoffman v. Collins analysis before you count on the intent to file.
What it does not do
- It is not a claim. VA's form says so directly. VA will not process a claim until you file the complete application, and the decision still depends on your evidence.
- It does not cross benefit types. An intent to file for pension cannot be applied to a compensation claim, and the reverse is also true.
- It does not cover every kind of request. VA's claims manual lists requests for Higher-Level Review, requests for review based on clear and unmistakable error, duplicate claims and requests for dependency ancillary benefits as examples an intent to file does not apply to.
- It does not extend a review deadline. The one-year window to ask for a Higher-Level Review or appeal to the Board runs from the date of VA's decision notice under 38 CFR 3.2500, whether or not you have an intent to file.
- It does not cover a second claim. Only the first complete claim for that benefit gets the intent to file date. If you file one claim in March and another for the same benefit in May, the May claim gets its own, later date.
- It does not stack. A second intent to file for the same benefit, sent while the first one is still active, has no effect.
One intent to file per benefit type
VA recognizes one active intent to file per benefit at a time. VA's own example shows how two benefits work side by side:
| What you file | Date | Effective date for any award |
|---|---|---|
| Intent to file for disability compensation | April 2 | |
| Disability compensation claim | July 15 | April 2 |
| Intent to file for pension | September 1 | |
| Pension claim | November 30 | September 1 |
Once VA receives your complete claim, that intent to file is used up. You can then submit a new intent to file for the same benefit to hold a date for a condition you plan to claim later. A new one sent before the first claim is filed has no effect.
When a VA intent to file expires
Your intent to file stays active for one year from the date VA receives it, or until VA receives your complete claim for that benefit, whichever comes first.
VA counts the year under 38 CFR 3.110: the first day is excluded and the last day is included, so a claim VA receives on the anniversary date is on time. If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the deadline moves to the next workday. VA's claims manual gives two examples:
| Intent to file received | Complete claim received | On time? |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 17, 2024 | Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | Yes, the anniversary date counts |
| Friday, June 7, 2024 | Monday, June 9, 2025 | Yes, the anniversary fell on a Saturday |
The date that matters is the date VA receives your claim. A mailed application that arrives after the anniversary is late even if you mailed it before. Filing online, or mailing well ahead of the date, lowers that risk.
What happens if the year passes
If VA does not receive a complete claim within the year, the intent to file expires. Under 38 CFR 3.155(b)(4), VA takes no further action until it receives a new claim or a new intent to file. The reserved date is gone, and your date of claim becomes the date VA receives your complete application, or the date of a new intent to file if you submit one first and follow it with a complete claim within a year.
There is no extension. You can submit a new intent to file as soon as the old one expires, and it starts a new one-year window from its own, later date. If you are close to the anniversary and your evidence is not ready, file the complete claim anyway. VA says you have up to one year from the date it receives your claim to turn in evidence, though it may decide sooner if you send nothing within 30 days.
How to file your VA disability claim after the intent to file
The application for disability compensation is VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in a new tab), Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits (current revision dated January 2026). It is the form for a first claim, a new condition, a secondary condition, a presumptive condition and an increase. A Supplemental Claim uses a different form, VA Form 20-0995.
Choose the claim type
| Claim type | Use it when | What VA says the evidence must show |
|---|---|---|
| Original claim | You are claiming a disability for the first time | A current disability, an event, injury or disease during service, and a link between them |
| Increased claim | A service-connected disability has gotten worse | Current medical records, a medical opinion or lay evidence that it has gotten worse |
| Secondary claim | A new condition is linked to a disability VA already service connected | The new condition and its link to the service-connected disability |
| Presumptive condition | Your condition and service fit a VA presumption | Records showing the diagnosis and its severity, and military records showing you meet the service requirement. You do not have to prove service caused it. Check the presumptive conditions list |
| Supplemental Claim | VA already decided the issue | New and relevant evidence, or a change in law such as the PACT Act. File on VA Form 20-0995, online for disability compensation |
| Pre-discharge claim | You have 180 to 90 days left on active duty | See the pre-discharge (BDD) claim guide. With fewer than 90 days left, you can still file before discharge, and VA processes the claim after you separate |
The five ways to file
VA accepts a disability claim in five ways:
| Way to file | Details |
|---|---|
| Online | File for disability compensation on VA.gov (opens in a new tab). You get an on-screen confirmation you can print |
| By mail | Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444 |
| In person | Bring the application to a VA regional office |
| By fax | 844-531-7818 inside the U.S., 248-524-4260 from outside the U.S. |
| With an accredited representative | A VSO representative, accredited attorney or claims agent can file with you. Find a VSO near you |
If you file online, the date you start the form is your intent to file, and VA recognizes that start date as your date of claim as long as you finish within 365 days. If you file on paper, VA suggests submitting an intent to file first, so you have time to gather evidence without moving your potential start date later.
Whichever way you file, save the submitted application, the confirmation, the list of documents you attached and a copy of each file in one folder.
What evidence to send with your claim
You do not have to send any evidence with a claim. VA can request records and may schedule a claim exam. But VA encourages you to send your supporting documents with the claim, because it helps VA process the claim quickly. VA lists these:
- Your DD214 or other separation papers and your service treatment records, or your permission for VA to get them
- VA medical and hospital records about the claimed condition, or showing a rated condition got worse (how to get your VA medical records)
- Private medical records and hospital reports, such as your own doctor's reports, X-rays and test results. VA says it usually needs medical records or a medical opinion to support the link between your condition and service (nexus letters explained)
- Lay statements from you, family, friends, clergy, law enforcement or people you served with, on VA Form 21-10210, VA Form 21-4138 or plain paper (buddy letter examples)
- Extra forms for certain claims: VA Form 21-0781 for PTSD and other mental health conditions tied to an in-service event, and VA Forms 21-8940 and 21-4192 for Individual Unemployability
Once VA receives your claim, you have up to one year to send more evidence. But VA's upload page says that if you do not provide evidence, or the information VA needs to get it, within 30 days, VA may decide your claim earlier. The evidence checklists give you a condition-specific list to track what you still need to gather. If one record or statement is the heart of your claim, the free Claim Readiness Review explains that one document in plain English and lists what it leaves unanswered. It reviews only the document you upload, one per verified email.
Fully Developed Claim or standard claim
VA still offers two ways to process a disability claim:
| Fully Developed Claim | Standard claim | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Submit the 21-526EZ with all the evidence you have, certify there is no more evidence VA might need, and go to any exam VA schedules | File the claim, tell VA about records not held by a federal agency and give it what it needs to request them, and go to any exam VA schedules |
| What VA does | Requests your military service records and the federal records you identify, and schedules an exam or medical opinion if needed | Gets records from federal agencies, VA medical centers and the Social Security Administration, and with your permission makes reasonable efforts to get private records. You remain responsible for making sure VA gets them |
| Speed | VA describes it as the faster route | VA says it is slower, because VA needs time to gather the evidence |
| When it changes | If you send more evidence after you file, or VA needs non-federal records, VA moves the claim to standard processing | Not applicable |
VA says filing a Fully Developed Claim carries no risk to the attention your claim gets or the benefits you can receive. Do not hold back a record you know about just to keep the label. A complete file matters more than the processing lane.
After you file
VA tracks your claim through eight steps, from Claim received to Claim decided. The VA claim status guide explains each step, how long claims take, how to upload evidence while a claim is pending, when to use QuickSubmit instead, and how priority processing works.
Intent to file and your effective date
An intent to file does not set your effective date by itself. VA's claims manual says the intent to file rules are not effective date rules: they set the date your claim counts as received, and the effective date rules then work from that date.
The general rule is in 38 CFR 3.400: the effective date is the date VA received the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later. With a valid intent to file, "the date VA received the claim" becomes the intent to file date. So if your condition already existed when you filed the intent to file, the intent to file date is usually the starting point. If entitlement arose later (for example, the condition began after that date), the later date controls.
| Your situation | Effective date rule | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New claim filed within one year of your intent to file | The intent to file date or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later | 38 CFR 3.155(b), 3.400 |
| Claim received within one year after leaving active service | For direct service connection, the day after separation or the date entitlement arose. VA's claims manual adds that an intent to file sent within a year of separation, followed by a complete claim within a year of the intent to file, can reach the day after separation | 38 CFR 3.400(b)(2) |
| Claim for an increase | The earliest date it is factually ascertainable your disability got worse, if VA receives a complete claim or an intent to file within one year of that date. This can be earlier than the intent to file | 38 CFR 3.400(o)(2) |
| Supplemental Claim filed within one year of a decision | Continuous pursuit can keep the date of the original claim, or the date entitlement arose if later | 38 CFR 3.2500(h) |
| Complete claim received after the intent to file expired | The date VA receives the complete claim, or the date entitlement arose if later | 38 CFR 3.155(b)(4), 3.400 |
VA's claims manual adds that other effective date rules, such as the liberalizing-law rule in 38 CFR 3.114, may be applied using the intent to file date when it counts as your date of claim. For the term itself, see effective date in the Claim Raven glossary.
When back pay starts
VA does not pay for the month your award becomes effective. Under 38 CFR 3.31, payment starts on the first day of the calendar month after the effective date.
Fictional example: VA receives your intent to file on March 10, 2026. Your knee condition was diagnosed in 2024, so in this example entitlement arose before that date. VA receives your complete claim on January 20, 2027, inside the one-year window, and grants it. The effective date is March 10, 2026, and payments are counted from April 1, 2026. Had you mailed the same claim with no intent to file, the date of claim would have been January 20, 2027, and payments would have been counted from February 1, 2027.
The VA back pay calculator estimates back pay month by month from your effective date, decision date and ratings, at the VA rate in force each month. See back pay in the glossary for the terms.
Questions about intent to file deadlines and forms
When does a VA intent to file expire?
One year after the date VA receives it. It ends sooner if VA receives your complete claim for that benefit first. A claim VA receives on the anniversary date is on time, and if that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next workday.
Can I extend my VA intent to file?
No. VA does not extend an intent to file, and a second intent to file for the same benefit sent while the first is active has no effect. Once the first one expires, you can submit a new one, but it holds a later date.
Where can I find my VA intent to file?
VA mails a letter confirming the date it received your intent to file, the benefit and the deadline. If you lost it, call VA at 800-827-1000, ask your accredited representative, or import your VA.gov information with VA Bridge, which brings in an active compensation intent to file and its expiration date.
Do I need an intent to file if I file my claim online?
Not for a disability compensation claim or a disability Supplemental Claim. Starting either form online while signed in with an identity-verified account notifies VA of your intent to file automatically. You still need a separate intent to file for DIC and for Supplemental Claims for other benefits.
Is a letter of intent the same as an intent to file?
Only if it is on VA's form. A written intent to file must be on VA Form 21-0966. A letter on plain paper saying you plan to file is treated as a request for an application, not an intent to file, so it does not hold your date. VA also accepts an intent to file online, by phone and in person.
Does an intent to file cover all my conditions?
Yes, if they are all in the first complete claim you file for that benefit. You do not list conditions on the intent to file. The date applies to every issue in that first claim, but not to a separate claim you file later.
Can someone else file an intent to file for me?
Yes. Your accredited representative can submit one, but only if your power of attorney was in place first. Someone signing for you on VA's online form needs an Alternate Signer Certification (VA Form 21-0972) or an appointment of representative (VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a) on file.
How long does VA take to process an intent to file?
VA says processing an intent to file submitted online can take a few days in some cases, and it will tell you your potential effective date once it does. Under 38 CFR 3.155(b), the date that counts is the date VA received your intent to file.
Sources
Checked October 6, 2026.
- VA, Your intent to file a VA claim (opens in a new tab) (last updated September 22, 2026): methods, benefits covered, automatic online intent to file and its exceptions, one year, one per benefit type, the April 2 and September 1 example
- VA, VA Form 21-0966 (opens in a new tab) (last updated September 22, 2026; form revision May 2026) and the VA Form 21-0966 PDF (opens in a new tab): mailing address, "this is not a claim for benefits," one application per benefit
- VA, Submit an intent to file online (opens in a new tab): verified sign-in, processing time, signing for someone else
- VA, How to file a VA disability claim (opens in a new tab) (last updated October 5, 2026): five ways to file, mailing address and fax numbers, evidence, the 365-day saved application rule
- VA, File for disability compensation with VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in a new tab) and VA Form 21-526EZ (opens in a new tab) (form revision January 2026)
- VA, Evidence needed for your disability claim (opens in a new tab) (last updated June 8, 2026): evidence by claim type, additional forms, standard claims
- VA, Fully Developed Claims program (opens in a new tab) (last updated May 15, 2024)
- VA, Types of disability claims and when to file (opens in a new tab) (last updated May 3, 2024): claim types, pre-discharge timing
- VA, Upload evidence to support your disability claim (opens in a new tab) (last updated August 6, 2026): one year to submit evidence, the 30-day note, QuickSubmit
- VA, Supplemental Claims (opens in a new tab) (last updated October 5, 2026): VA Form 20-0995
- M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.A, Intent to File: methods, confirmation letter, statuses, benefits it does not apply to, the 2021 Supplemental Claim change, active duty, counting the year
- M21-1, Part V, Subpart ii, 4.A: intent to file and effective dates, separation within one year, one claim per intent to file
- 38 CFR 3.31, 3.110, 3.155, 3.160, 3.400 and 3.2500 (eCFR, October 1, 2026)
Claim Raven is not a law firm, a VSO or an accredited representative, and this guide is not legal advice. For help with your claim, talk to an accredited representative.
Keep the dates straight as you work.
Record the date from your confirmation. Enter the date you want to track and check it against your VA records. Return to your planning reference. View the saved date and its calendar anniversary as you organize your preparation. Review a more complicated filing sequence. Use the separate filing-sequence checker to organize entered events and identify records to examine more closely.
Already have an intent to file?
Keep its date close to the work you're doing. Track my date free
Common questions
What is an intent to file?
It tells VA you plan to file and can establish a potential earlier start date for benefits. VA generally gives you one year to complete and file the claim after notifying it of your intent. Check VA's guidance and your own confirmation for the applicable process. VA intent-to-file guidance
Does entering a date here notify VA?
No. This tool records a planning date in Claim Raven. Submit an intent to file through the appropriate VA process.
Where is my date saved?
In this browser. Signing in does not make this tracker a cross-device record.
Will it send me reminders?
No. Set any reminders you need in your own calendar.
Does the sequence checker decide my effective date?
No. It organizes the sequence you enter and points to records to review. It does not determine an effective date or payment.
Can I use the sequence checker without opening the tracker?
Yes. The public checker is a separate part of the page.