VA says standard disability claim forms will speed up process

The Department of Veterans Affairs said it will introduce new uniform disability claim forms that will standardize the process for veterans to file claims and initiate appeals.

VA said the new forms will eliminate guesswork on the part of the applicants, and make it easier for vets and survivors to clearly indicate which benefits they are seeking, and to provide the information needed to process their claims and appeals.

It is the uncertainty on the part of those filing the paperwork, VA said, which often leads to delays in issuing decisions and awarding benefits.

Regulations governing the new filing process go into effect in late March 2015, VA said.

“We must do everything that we can to make it as fast and easy as possible for veterans and their survivors to file for and receive an accurate decision on their claim,” VA Secretary Robert McDonald said in a statement.“Our veterans and survivors will know, at the outset of the claims process, what is needed, which removes subjective interpretation from the process. We want to eliminate any barriers that make it difficult for our veterans or survivors to receive benefits to which they are entitled.”

Under the current  process, a veteran or survivor does not have to use a certain form to seek VA compensation or benefits, and submitting a claim or appeal on any piece of paper leads to the omission of information and produce subsequent delays, VA said.

VA said using standard forms for all disability claims will make identifying what the veteran is claiming or appealing faster and more accurate—and let VA move more quickly to the next steps in gathering evidence and making decisions. 

The standardized process also save administrative time, VA said.