Easy VA ClaimsThe Complete VA Claims Guide for Veterans
Everything you need to file, win, and maximize your VA disability claim — in plain language, with no VSO required.
Use the Free VA Claims Wizard →The 5-Step VA Claims Process
Identify Your Conditions
Start by listing every physical and mental health condition you believe is connected to your military service. Include conditions that were aggravated by service, not just those that started during it. Secondary conditions — those caused by a service-connected condition — also count.
Gather Your Evidence
The VA requires a nexus — a documented link between your condition and your service. This can come from your service treatment records (STRs), private medical records, a nexus letter from a doctor, buddy statements from fellow veterans, or lay evidence (your own written statement).
File Your Claim
Claims are filed through VA.gov or in person at a VA regional office. You can file an original claim, a claim for increase, or a supplemental claim. Use VA Form 21-526EZ for initial claims. The date you file is your effective date — earlier is always better.
Prepare for the C&P Exam
The Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is the VA's medical evaluation of your claim. It is not a treatment appointment — the examiner is assessing your condition for rating purposes. Know your symptoms, be consistent with your records, and never minimize your worst days.
Review Your Rating Decision
The VA will issue a rating decision letter. Review it carefully — check that every condition was addressed, that the effective date is correct, and that the rating percentages match the diagnostic criteria. If anything is wrong, you have one year to appeal at no cost.
Jordan Anderson
Founder, EasyVAClaims · 100% P&T Veteran
“The biggest mistake I see veterans make is they don't organize their file so the rater can easily see the connection. A rater is reviewing hundreds of files. If your medical diagnosis, your service connection, and your documented impact are all clearly laid out in one organized package, the record speaks for itself.”
Jordan's core framework: give the rater a complete, well-organized file. A medical diagnosis, an independent medical opinion, a C&P exam or DBQ at the right rating level, and written testimony that ties it all together — so the evidence on the record is clear and complete.
The Power of a Bulletproof Personal Statement
A personal statement is not optional paperwork — it counts as actual evidence in your VA claim. It is your opportunity to translate your true story into the VA's language, and to put your thumb on the scale of evidence that could sway the decision in your favor.
The key is brevity and relevance. A three-page statement full of venting and irrelevant details will get skimmed — and the rater will miss the parts that actually matter. You need to know what information the rater needs before you start writing, and then limit your statement to only what is relevant.
Jordan Anderson
Founder, EasyVAClaims · 100% P&T Veteran
“If you are not submitting a well-written personal statement with each and every condition you are claiming, you are leaving opportunity on the table for no good reason. Think of it as an open book test — when you know what the person rating your claim needs to see, you can refine your statement into only what is relevant. Brevity is key. The last thing you want is a statement that's too long, so the rater starts skimming and misses the parts that are actually crucial to your case.”
The EasyVAClaims wizard takes the guesswork out of personal statements by asking you the right questions at the right times — so the truth flows out naturally, and only what's relevant makes it onto the page.
What Nobody Tells You About the C&P Exam
The Compensation & Pension exam is not a treatment appointment. The examiner is filling out a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) — a standardized form that determines your rating. Understanding this changes everything about how you prepare.
Jordan Anderson
Founder, EasyVAClaims · 100% P&T Veteran
“The C&P examiner wants to get you in and out and back to the break room. Your job is to help them do that. Familiarize yourself with the DBQ they're filling out before you even go to your exam. Help them fill it out in the most efficient, accurate, and easy way possible — and they will love you for it. They're not your treating doctor. They're not your friend, but they're also not your enemy.”
Critical Advice
Always stop at the first beginnings of pain. Do not push through any pain during your C&P exam. You are no longer a military asset — that is not a lawful order. No adult is going to force another grown adult to push past the point of pain at a contracted exam. Trying to be a hero could impact your rating immensely.
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