Four steps. About thirty minutes. Free from start to finish.

Before anything else, you file an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966). It sets the clock: your benefits can be paid back to this date once your claim is approved.

Why it matters: on a 30% rating, a six-month wait without this step can forfeit roughly $3,300 in back pay you never get back. Filing online sets the date automatically — we make sure you don't skip it.

Upload your DD-214 (that's all you need to start). We map conditions three ways: presumptive, based on where and when you served; secondary, conditions that flow from another; and direct, tied to something in your record.

You don't have to chase down medical records — by law, the VA gathers your service treatment records and can order an exam. Then you add anything you already know you're dealing with, so nothing gets missed.

For each condition you choose, a guided interview asks the things a rater actually weighs: when it started, how often and how badly it hits, and how it changes your day.

Your answers — your words — become personal statements you review, edit, and sign. We never put words in your mouth or tell you what to claim. That's your call, and your signature.

You get a clean package: personal statements, buddy-letter templates, an evidence checklist, and a C&P exam prep sheet. Then we point you to a VA-accredited VSO near you who files it for free.

Prefer to do it yourself on VA.gov? We include short, step-by-step videos for exactly that. Either way, you file your own claim and keep every dollar of your benefit.