Types of disability claims and when to file

Find out when you can file your first claim for service-connected benefits. And learn what to do if you want to request more benefits or have new evidence to support a claim we denied in the

past.

We refer to the first claim you file for a disability as your original claim.

You can file a claim up to 180 days before leaving the service:

You can also file a claim for a disability that appears after discharge:

This is called a postservice claim. There’s no time limit on filing a postservice claim. But you should know that the process may become more complex the longer you wait.

Learn more about disabilities that may be related to your active-duty service but may not appear until after you’ve left the military:

You can file a claim for increased disability compensation if you have a rated service-connected disability that’s gotten worse. You’ll need to submit up-to-date medical evidence that shows

your disability has gotten worse. 

You can file a new claim to request these changes to your benefits:

Our decision on your new claim will be based only on new evidence (like a doctor’s report or medical test results) that you give us to support your claim. We won’t consider any evidence you

may have given us related to past claims.

You can file a secondary claim to get more disability benefits for a new disability that’s linked to a service-connected disability you already have.

Here are some examples of when you might file a secondary claim:

You can file a special claim to request compensation for special needs.

You can file a Supplemental Claim if you meet all of the requirements listed here.

For example, you might file a Supplemental Claim if you were treated for pain in your elbow while on active duty, but you were denied disability benefits because your VA health exam didn’t

find a problem. Then 2 years later, an X-ray of your elbow showed signs of arthritis (a painful swelling and sometimes wearing down of a joint). In this case, you would need to send your new

exam and X-ray results to us as new evidence related to the claim.