For veterans, service members and families
You served.
Get what you earned.
Straight answers about VA health care and benefits, and free help near you from people who do this every day.
Not sure the VA covers it? Look it up first.
Will the VA pay for this?
What VA health care and benefits cover, what they do not, who qualifies, and what it costs.
Look it up$0to file with a free service officerFile a disability claim
Who qualifies, when to file, what it pays, and how to never pay someone to file.
How it works5,667free places to get claim helpFree help near you
County and state veterans service officers, VA offices, Vet Centers, legal help and more.
Find helpCommon questions
Does the VA cover...
Leaving the military?
Start your claim before you get out
- 180 days outFile through Benefits Delivery at Discharge. It is the fastest path to a decision.
- 90 days outLast day to file through BDD. You can still file before you leave.
- Separation dayAlready out? File an Intent to File to hold your start date for a year.
- After you are outCombat veterans get 10 years of extra VA health care eligibility after discharge. Enroll early.
Vet to vet
You do not have to figure this out alone
Going from a life of mission and purpose to civilian life is hard, and a lot of veterans carry it quietly. Filing a claim is not asking for a handout. It is the next mission.
- Vet Centers: free, private counseling. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.
- Peer support: groups and programs run by and for veterans.
- Teams, trips and adaptive sports: get out with people who get it.
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 and press 1. Many of the people who answer are veterans.
Never pay to file a VA claim
Accredited veterans service officers file claims for free. Walk away from anyone who charges a fee or a percentage for a first claim, promises a rating, or asks for your VA.gov or bank login.
Find a free service officer or check if someone is accredited