Most families are never told this: you can help a living veteran file, sign when they cannot, continue a claim after they pass, and file your own survivor claims for a toxic-exposure death. This is the full, plain-English guide—how claims are requested, what to gather, how to get a DD-214, and every form explained.
The truth most families are never told
Family members are rarely told they have rights of their own. You do not have to wait, and you are not powerless. Depending on your situation, you can help a living veteran prepare and file, sign a form when they physically or mentally cannot, step into a claim that was still open when they died, and file survivor claims in your own name when a service-connected illness took their life.
Toxic exposure—burn pits, Agent Orange, contaminated water, radiation, solvents, and more—can cause conditions that surface years later, sometimes after the veteran is gone. When that happens, the paperwork does not disappear with them. Below is exactly how these claims are requested, what evidence you need, and which form matches your situation.
Help a living veteran
Gather records, represent them, or sign for them when they cannot sign themselves.
File as a survivor
DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits are your own claims after a service-connected death.
Appeal a denial
A "no" is not the end. Denials and pending cases can be continued and challenged.
Start here
The path—and the forms—depend on one question first: is your veteran living, or have they passed away? Both paths are real, and both are often overlooked.
A competent veteran files in their own name, but a family member can do almost all of the heavy lifting: gathering records, building the exposure chain, and acting as an appointed representative. If the veteran cannot sign because of injury, illness, or incapacity, there is a specific form for that too.
See the living-veteran path
When a service-connected illness—including one tied to toxic exposure—contributes to a veteran's death, survivors can file for benefits in their own name, continue a claim that was still pending, and appeal a denial. These are separate programs with their own forms and deadlines.
See the survivor pathPath A · The veteran is living
A veteran who can make their own decisions must file in their own name—but you can carry nearly the entire load, and you can be formally appointed to act for them.
You can gather the DD-214, build the exposure timeline, collect medical records, and complete the paperwork. The veteran reviews and signs. This alone removes the biggest barrier most veterans face.
With VA Form 21-22 (a VSO) or 21-22a (an accredited attorney or agent), a representative is formally recognized to handle the claim. This is how professional advocates step in on the veteran's behalf.
If the veteran is physically unable to sign or is not mentally competent, VA Form 21-0972 lets an alternate signer certify and sign. VA may also require a fiduciary, a power of attorney, or a court order.
Path B · The veteran has passed
A veteran’s passing does not close the door. When a service-connected condition—including a toxic-exposure illness—caused or contributed to their death, survivors have distinct rights. Three of them are almost never explained.
A tax-free monthly benefit for a surviving spouse, child, or dependent parent after a service-connected death. Spouses and children use VA Form 21P-534EZ; parents use VA Form 21P-535.
If the veteran had a claim or appeal still pending when they died, an eligible survivor can step in and continue it with VA Form 21P-0847—keeping the original filing date. File within one year of the death.
Benefits VA had approved but not yet paid at the time of death can be claimed with VA Form 21P-601, following the order of succession. The death certificate is required.
Substitution vs. accrued vs. DIC are not the same thing. DIC is your own ongoing benefit. Substitution keeps the veteran’s pending case alive under your name. Accrued benefits recover what was already owed. Many families qualify for more than one—and filing one does not automatically file the others.
How claims are requested
Whether the veteran is living or has passed, the shape of the process is the same. These are the steps that turn "I know they were exposed" into a claim VA can act on.
Decide whether you are helping a living veteran file in their name, stepping into a claim after a death, or filing your own survivor benefit. Your relationship—spouse, child, parent, or next of kin—decides which door is open to you.
The discharge document proves when and where the veteran served. Those dates and locations are the backbone of a toxic-exposure claim. If you do not have it, you can request it (see the DD-214 section below).
Gather the unit, every duty station and deployment, and the veteran’s actual day-to-day duties—not just the primary job title. A TERA determination or ILER may support it. Exposure follows where the veteran was and what they did.
Collect the current diagnosis and, where possible, a medical opinion linking the condition to the exposure. If the veteran has passed, the death certificate and the records showing the fatal condition matter most.
Filing VA Form 21-0966 first tells VA a claim is coming and can protect the earliest possible effective date. You then generally have one year to submit the complete application.
Match your situation to the correct form (all listed below) or, if you are challenging a denial, the correct decision-review lane. File online at VA.gov, by mail, or in person at a regional office.
Eligibility rules are detailed and VA decides every case on its own facts. An accredited agent can check the exposure chain, the evidence, and the form before it goes in—often the difference between a grant and a denial.
How to get a DD-214
The DD-214 is the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. It shows the branch, the service dates, and the assignments—the facts that put the veteran in the place and time of the exposure. It is the first document almost every claim depends on.
The veteran can download their own records through the government’s milConnect service, or request them from the National Archives. As their helper or appointed representative, you can assist once they authorize it.
Request the record from the National Archives online through eVetRecs, or on paper with Standard Form 180 (SF-180). Next of kin means an un-remarried surviving spouse, a parent, a child, or a sibling. You will need proof of the veteran’s death—a death certificate, obituary, or letter from the funeral home. For next of kin, the request is free.
What to gather
You will not always have every item, and you do not need all of it to start. Gather what you can, file an Intent to File to protect your date, and keep building. Check off what you have.
Every form, plainly
Form numbers are intimidating until someone explains them. Here is every form a family may need, grouped by what you are trying to do. Always confirm the current version on VA.gov before you file.
Who uses it
Anyone preparing a claim or survivor benefit
What it does
Notifies VA a claim is coming and locks in the earliest possible effective date. File the complete application within one year.
Who uses it
Next of kin of a deceased veteran
What it does
The paper request to the National Archives for the veteran’s DD-214 and service records. eVetRecs is the online version.
Who uses it
The veteran or claimant
What it does
Appoints an accredited VSO to prepare and present the claim. VSO representation is always free.
Who uses it
The veteran or claimant
What it does
Appoints an accredited attorney or claims agent. An agent may charge a fee only on recovered past-due benefits, never on a first-time claim.
Who uses it
Someone signing for a claimant who cannot
What it does
Used when the claimant is physically unable to sign, is not mentally competent, or is under 18. VA may ask for a power of attorney, court order, or fiduciary appointment.
Who uses it
A surviving spouse or child
What it does
The main survivor application after a service-connected death, including a death tied to toxic exposure.
Who uses it
A surviving dependent parent
What it does
Parents’ DIC. It is often paired with an income and asset statement (VA Form 21P-0969).
Who uses it
An eligible survivor
What it does
Steps into a claim or appeal that was still pending when the veteran died so the case is not lost. File within one year of the death.
Who uses it
A survivor in the order of succession
What it does
Claims benefits VA owed but had not paid at death. Requires the death certificate.
Who uses it
Anyone with new and relevant evidence
What it does
Reopens the decision with evidence VA has not seen. VA has a duty to help gather what you identify.
Who uses it
Anyone who believes VA erred on the existing record
What it does
A more senior reviewer re-decides the same evidence. No new evidence, but you can request one informal conference.
Who uses it
Anyone appealing to the Board
What it does
Sends the case to a Veterans Law Judge. Choose the direct-review, evidence-submission, or hearing docket.
Appeals
If VA denied the claim, or granted less than it should have, you have three ways to ask for a review inside the VA, and a fourth lane outside it in federal court. You generally have one year from the date on the decision letter to keep the earliest effective date, and you can move between lanes as new decisions come in. Survivors can appeal a DIC denial the same way.
All four appeal lanes, explained in full
Choose this when you have new and relevant evidence VA has not seen—corrected records, a specialist report, unit history, or a detailed exposure statement. VA must help gather what you identify.
Choose this when you believe VA made an error on the evidence it already had. A more senior reviewer takes a fresh look, and you can request one informal conference to point out the mistake.
Sends the case to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board. Choose direct review, evidence submission, or a hearing docket—each with its own timeline and rules about new evidence.
Denials are often about evidence, not eligibility. A toxic-exposure claim is frequently denied because the exposure chain or the medical link was not fully built—not because the veteran did not qualify. That is exactly the kind of gap a fresh review can close.
Deadlines & effective dates
Missing a deadline rarely ends a claim, but it can cost months or years of back pay. These are the ones that matter most for families.
To keep the earliest effective date, request a decision review (Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal) within one year of the date on the decision letter.
A survivor generally must file the substitution request (VA Form 21P-0847) within one year of the claimant’s death to continue a claim or appeal that was pending when the veteran died.
A claim for benefits VA owed but had not paid at death (VA Form 21P-601) is generally due within one year of the death.
When a survivor files for DIC within one year of the veteran’s death, benefits can generally be paid back to the first day of the month of death.
After an Intent to File is received, the complete application filed within one year is treated as filed on the earlier Intent-to-File date.
Straight talk before you file
Turn this page into an appointment
Reading a symptom list changes nothing on its own. A dated note in your medical record does — for your health first, and years later for a claim. Below is every route to an appointment, the phrase that gets your exposure history written down, and the numbers to dial. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and none of it replaces your doctor.
Some things do not wait for a scheduler
Chest pain or pressure lasting more than a few minutes, or chest pain with sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the jaw or arm
Sudden trouble breathing, or breathlessness while sitting still
Face droop, weakness or numbness on one side, slurred speech, or sudden confusion
Coughing up or vomiting blood, or bleeding that will not stop
A first seizure, or fainting you cannot explain
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not wait to reach a VA facility first, and do not drive yourself. Tell VA as soon as you can afterward — VA asks to be notified within 72 hours of emergency care received in the community — and keep every discharge paper and bill.
The PACT Act requires VA to offer this to every veteran enrolled in VA health care. It takes about five to ten minutes, and it is the cheapest way to get your exposure history into VA's own record in VA's own words.
What it is
A short set of questions asking whether you believe you were exposed to open burn pits and other airborne hazards, Agent Orange, radiation, Gulf War-related hazards, or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
Who can get it
Every veteran enrolled in VA health care. If you are not enrolled yet, enrollment comes first — call 877-222-8387.
How often
An initial screening, then at least once every five years. If you answer that you do not know whether you were exposed, VA schedules you again a year later.
How to get one
It is often done during a primary care or specialty visit — but you can ask for it sooner. Ask your primary care team directly, or ask your facility for its Toxic Exposure Screening Navigator by name.
What it is not
It is not an exam for any specific illness, and it is not part of the disability claims process. It is optional, and declining it does not affect your health care or your benefits.
Why bother
It creates a dated VA record that you raised military exposure. Years later, that entry is evidence that the concern predated the diagnosis.
A civilian or community provider cannot perform this screening — it lives inside VA's own health record. If you only see a private doctor, that is a reason to enroll in VA health care as well.
Since August 1, 2024, VA and the Defense Department enroll eligible veterans and service members in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry automatically, from deployment records. For most people there is nothing to sign up for.
Automatic enrollment covers service between August 2, 1990 and August 31, 2021 in the listed operations and locations — Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn, the Southwest Asia theater, Egypt, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and the associated airspace and waters.
You do not need to have been knowingly exposed, and you do not need any current health problem, to be included.
If you enrolled yourself before the redesign, your enrollment carried over. There is nothing to redo.
To check your status, contact the Environmental Health Coordinator at your VA facility.
The registry holds deployment and demographic data only. No medical information is stored in it.
Participation is optional and you can opt out. Being in the registry is not required to file a claim, and it does not affect your eligibility for care or benefits either way.
Being in the registry is not evidence of exposure on its own, and it is not a claim. Treat it as a research tool, and do not let anyone tell you a claim depends on it.
Write the veteran's job and the places they served at the top of that sheet, in the words the military used for it.
VET-HOME — VA's exposure team
833-633-8846
Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET
The number to call about a military environmental exposure specifically. VET-HOME books a free telehealth evaluation with a clinician trained in military exposures, and that clinician writes your exposure history into your VA record. Say you want a military environmental exposure assessment.
MyVA411 — VA main line
800-698-2411
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The one number to call if you do not know who to call. Ask to be put through to your VA medical center's scheduling line, or press 0 for a person.
VA Health Benefits Hotline
877-222-8387
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
Enrolling in VA health care, health-care eligibility, VA medical bills, and community care billing.
Veterans Crisis Line
988, then press 1
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Any crisis, and you do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use it. You can also text 838255.
My HealtheVet help desk
877-327-0022
Monday to Friday
Trouble signing in, secure messaging, or online scheduling.
VA Benefits Hotline
800-827-1000
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET
Claims, ratings, and back pay — the benefits side rather than the medical side.
TTY
711
Relay service
If you are deaf or hard of hearing.
These are VA's own published lines. If a number ever gives you a runaround, MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 will transfer you — it is staffed every hour of every day.
Albert Thombs and his team of accredited advocates can look at your situation, confirm which rights apply, and help you file it right the first time—for a living veteran or as a survivor. Registering costs nothing. Fees are recovery only: 20% of past-due benefits, never hourly, nothing on a first-time claim, under 38 C.F.R. § 14.636.
Typical response within 48 hours
Both options are free · No obligation
Talking to a VA-accredited claims agent costs nothing either way. Pick the one that fits: get answers to your questions, or register to hire us to take on your claim.
Free information — just ask
You can ask Albert, our AI claims assistant, anything about exposure, evidence, or the claims process — he answers instantly. If you would rather have a direct, personal answer, send your question below and an accredited agent will come back to you. No cost, no obligation.
Ready to hire us? Register with us
For veterans who have decided they want us on their claim. Registering is free too, and it takes the registration form plus a signed VA Form 21-22a.
Until VA Form 21-22a is signed we cannot accept your claim, access your VA file, or do any work on your behalf. That is federal law, not firm policy.
What happens after you register
An accredited agent personally reviews every request — we’ll reach out within 48 hours.
