Veteran roadmap

Prepare for a VA Disability Claim

Understand the general process, organize facts and records, and choose an official filing or accredited-help route.

Who this is for: Veterans who are learning about or preparing for a disability compensation claim.

Your step-by-step roadmap

Check urgent dates and filing status
Do not delay an official filing to finish a Patriot Haven worksheet. If a date appears on a VA letter, verify it with VA or an accredited representative.
Learn about Intent to File (opens official external site)
Choose whether you want accredited help
A VA-accredited representative can provide individualized claims assistance and representation. Patriot Haven can help you find the official directory.
Find accredited help
Review the official eligibility and evidence overview
Use VA's current guidance as the controlling source. Patriot Haven does not decide eligibility or what evidence your claim requires.
VA disability compensation (opens official external site)
Organize what you already know
Build a factual timeline, inventory records you have or may request, and write down questions. Keep uncertainty instead of guessing.
Track daily impact—only if useful
An optional symptom and functional-impact log can help you remember what happened. It is not VA-required and is not a medical record or guarantee of evidentiary value.
Open preparation tools
Review, correct, and use the official route
Check every statement for accuracy. File through VA.gov or work with a VA-accredited representative; Patriot Haven does not submit or represent your claim.

Links last verified August 30, 2026. Official agencies control eligibility, requirements, deadlines, and program availability.