Evidence needed for your disability claim
When you file a disability claim, we review all available evidence (supporting documents) to determine if you’re eligible for benefits. Find out what evidence you’ll need. And learn about your options for gathering documents to support your claim.
What documents will I need to support my claim?
We require certain documents to support all claims for disability benefits.
You’ll need to submit or give us permission to gather these:
- Your DD214 or other separation documents
- Your service treatment records
- Any medical evidence related to your illness or injury (like doctors’ reports, X-rays, and medical test results)
Note: You can also choose to submit a lay or witness statement (sometimes called a “buddy statement”) to support a VA claim. We’ll review this statement along with the other evidence you submit.
If your records were destroyed in the 1973 NPRC fire in St. Louis
In 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis destroyed records held for Veterans who were discharged from the Army and Air Force during certain periods of time. If your records were destroyed in this fire, you can get help reconstructing them.
If you’re a service member filing a claim through the BDD program
If you’re filing a claim through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program, you must submit a Separation Health Assessment - Part A Self-Assessment form. If you already filed a claim but didn’t submit this form yet, you can upload the form now.
What should the evidence show to support my disability claim?
This depends on the type of claim and on the issue or benefit you’re filing a claim for. Find your claim type here to learn what evidence you’ll need.
Notice to Veterans and service members of evidence needed: We’re required by law to tell you what evidence you’ll need to provide to support your disability claim.
The information on this page is a summary of evidence requirements (called “section 5103 notice”). You can review the official evidence requirements in VA Form 21-526EZ.
Type of claim you’re filing
Find out what evidence you’ll need for your claim type:
Original claim—the first claim you file for disability benefits
You’ll need to submit evidence of:
- A current physical or mental disability from a medical professional, and
- An event, injury, or disease that happened during your active-duty service, and
- A link between your current disability and the event, injury, or disease that happened during your service. Usually we need medical records or medical opinions from health care providers to support this link.
In certain situations, we may conclude that there’s a link between your military service and your disability even if there’s no evidence. This usually applies to:
- A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within a year after discharge, or
- An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
- An illness caused by your time spent as a POW
Increased claim—a claim for more compensation for a disability that we’ve already determined to be service connected and that’s gotten worse
You’ll need to submit current evidence from a medical professional that shows your disability has gotten worse.
New claim—a claim for added benefits or other benefit requests related to an existing service-connected disability
You’ll need to submit evidence of:
- A current physical or mental disability from a medical professional, and
- An event, injury, or disease that happened during your active-duty service, and
- A link between your current disability and the event, injury, or disease that happened during your service. Usually, we need medical records or medical opinions from health care providers to support this link.
Secondary service-connected claim—a claim for a new disability that’s linked to a service-connected disability you already have
You’ll need to submit evidence of:
- The new physical or mental disability from a medical professional, and
- A link between the new disability and the disability we’ve already determined is service connected. Usually we need medical records or medical opinions from health care providers to support this link.
Supplemental claim—a claim to provide new evidence for a disability claim we denied in the past
If you have new and relevant evidence to support your denied claim
You’ll need to submit new and relevant evidence that you think will change our decision:
- New evidence is information you didn’t submit to us in the past.
- Relevant evidence is information that proves or disproves something in your claim.
We can also help you gather documents from a VA medical center, other federal facility, or your private health care provider. You’ll need to provide the name of the facility that treated you and the treatment dates.
If you have a presumptive condition now covered because of a change in law
You’ll need to submit or identify these types of evidence:
- Medical records that show the diagnosis and severity of your claimed condition, and
- Military records that show you meet the service requirements for the presumption
If you have qualifying military service for a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. We automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition.
Learn more about presumptive conditions based on exposure to toxic materials:
- Burn pits during Gulf War service
- Agent Orange during Vietnam Era service
- Mustard gas or lewisite
- Contaminated water at Camp Lejeune
- Ionizing radiation
Learn more about different types of presumptive conditions:
Find out what evidence you can submit for a claim related to military sexual trauma (MST).
Find out what additional evidence you’ll need if you’re filing a claim for any of these other issues:
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions
You’ll also need to submit a completed Statement in Support of Claimed Mental Health Disorder(s) Due to an In-Service Traumatic Event(s) (VA Form 21-0781).
Individual Unemployability
You’ll need to submit everything listed here:
- Medical evidence that shows a service-connected disability prevents you from getting or keeping substantially gainful employment (work that brings in enough money to earn a livelihood). Odd jobs (marginal employment) don’t count.
- A completed Veteran’s Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability (VA Form 21-8940).
Get VA Form 21-8940 to download
- A completed Request for Employment Information in Connection with Claim for Disability Benefits (VA Form 21-4192), completed by your last employer.
Get VA Form 21-4192 to download
Temporary 100% disability rating
You’ll need to submit evidence that shows you experienced at least one of these situations at a hospital:
- You spent more than 21 days in a VA hospital or other approved hospital for a service-connected disability, or
- You were under hospital observation for more than 21 days at our expense for a service-connected disability
If you had surgery, you’ll need to submit evidence that shows these descriptions are true:
- Your surgery required a recovery time of at least one month (or the surgery or treatment was for a service-connected disability), and
- Your surgery resulted in severe issues for you. This could include surgical wounds that haven’t totally healed, stumps or recent amputations, being unable to move due to being put in splints or casts, being unable to leave your house, or having to use a wheelchair or crutches.
If you didn’t have surgery, you’ll need to show that one or more of your major joints was immobilized by a cast.
Presumptive condition
You’ll need to submit or identify these types of evidence:
- Medical records that show the diagnosis and severity of your claimed condition, and
- Military records that show you meet the service requirements for the presumption
If you have qualifying military service for a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. We automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition.
Learn more about presumptive conditions based on exposure to toxic materials:
- Burn pits during Gulf War service
- Agent Orange during Vietnam Era service
- Mustard gas or lewisite
- Contaminated water at Camp Lejeune
- Ionizing radiation
Learn more about different types of presumptive conditions:
VA Title 38 U.S.C. 1151 claims
You’ll need to submit evidence that shows at least one of these led directly to an added disability or to your injury or disease getting worse:
- VA carelessness or negligence, or
- VA medical or surgical treatment, or
- A VA health exam, or
- A VA vocational rehabilitation course (under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 31), or
- VA compensated work therapy (CWT)(under 38 U.S.C. 1718)
Seriously disabled child
You’ll need to submit medical evidence that shows the child became permanently disabled because of a physical or mental disability before their 18th birthday.
Find out what additional evidence you’ll need if you’re filing a claim for any of these benefits:
Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance
You’ll need to submit evidence that shows at least one of these is true:
- You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or
- You have to stay in bed—or spend a large portion of the day in bed—because of illness, or
- You’re a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or
- You have limited eyesight (even with glasses or contact lenses you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less)
For Housebound benefits, you’ll need to submit evidence that shows these descriptions are true:
- You have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% disabling and another service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling, or
- You spend most of your time in your home because of a permanent disability (a disability that doesn’t go away)
You’ll also need to submit one of these forms:
- An Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance (VA Form 21-2680)
Get VA Form 21-2680 to download
or
- If you’re in a nursing home, a Request for Nursing Home Information in Connection with Claim for Aid and Attendance (VA Form 21-0779)
Get VA Form 21-0779 to download
Automobile allowance and adaptive equipment
You’ll need to submit evidence that shows at least one of these descriptions is true:
- You have loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both feet, or
- You have loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both hands, or
- You have permanent decreased vision in both eyes: 20/200 vision or less in your better eye with glasses, or greater than 20/200 vision but with a visual field defect that has reduced your peripheral vision to 20 degrees or less in your better eye, or
- You have a severe burn injury, or
- You have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or
- You have ankylosis in one or both knees or hips (Note: This qualifies you for an adaptive-equipment grant only)
You’ll also need to submit:
An Application for Automobile or Other Conveyance and Adaptive Equipment (VA Form 21-4502)
Get VA Form 21-4502 to download
Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation
You’ll need to submit both of these:
- Evidence that shows you’re a Veteran or service member with a qualifying permanent and totally disabling service-connected disability
Find out if you have a qualifying service-connected disability
and
- An Application in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant (VA Form 26-4555)
Get VA Form 26-4555 to download
