An intent to file is a notice telling the Department of Veterans Affairs that you plan to submit a claim for benefits. It is not a completed claim, and you do not need to identify a disability or submit supporting evidence when you establish it.
The main purpose of an intent to file is to protect a potential effective date while you prepare your claim. If VA later grants the claim, the effective date determines when your benefits begin. In many cases, VA may use the date it received your intent to file instead of the later date it received your completed claim.
For example, suppose you establish an intent to file on January 15 but do not submit your completed disability claim until June 15. If VA grants the claim and accepts January 15 as the effective date, your retroactive benefits may be calculated from that earlier date.
Three Ways to Establish an Intent to File
You can establish an intent to file in any of these three ways:
1. Call VA
Call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000 and tell the representative that you intend to file a disability claim. Ask the representative to confirm that the intent to file has been entered and make a note of the date of your call.
2. Submit VA Form 21-0966
Complete and submit VA Form 21-0966, Intent to File a Claim. The form can be submitted online or sent to VA using the instructions included with the form.
Keep a copy of the completed form and proof that VA received it.
3. Start a Claim Online
Sign in to VA.gov using a verified account and begin an online disability compensation claim. You do not need to finish or submit the application immediately. Starting and saving the online application automatically notifies VA of your intent to file.
This automatic protection applies only when you are signed in with a verified account and start an eligible application. Save the confirmation information and check the displayed deadline for completing the claim.
What Happens Next?
After establishing an intent to file, you generally have one year to complete and submit your claim. During that time, you can gather:
- Medical records showing a current disability;
- Service treatment or personnel records documenting an injury, illness, exposure, or other event during service;
- Medical evidence connecting the current condition to military service;
- Personal statements describing what happened and how the condition affects you; and
- Statements from fellow service members, family members, friends, or others with relevant firsthand knowledge.
An intent to file does not replace the actual claim. You must submit the completed application before the one-year deadline. If you miss that deadline, you may lose the earlier potential effective date.
You can have only one active intent to file at a time for a particular benefit. Once you submit the completed claim, that intent to file is used. If you later plan to file another claim, consider establishing a new intent to file.
For additional information, visit the VA’s official page on intent-to-file rules and filing methods.
