VA Form 21-0966
Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension
Reserves your place in line: it locks an effective date while you gather evidence for the full claim.
Opens the official VA.gov page, always the authority on the current version and instructions.
An Intent to File tells the VA a claim is coming. If the complete claim arrives within one year, benefits can be paid back to the intent-to-file date rather than the date the finished paperwork landed.
For a veteran still collecting records, statements, and exams, this one form can be worth months of back pay.
Worth knowing
- The reserved effective date lasts one year.
- Starting an application online at VA.gov can record an intent to file automatically.
- It covers compensation, pension, and survivors pension claims.
Keep your copy where you can find it
Every form you send becomes part of your story. MusterVault keeps your completed copies, decision letters, and records organized and encrypted on your own computer, so the next deadline finds you ready. No cloud, no account.
Informational only: what this form is and where it lives, not advice about whether or when to file it. A free accredited VSO can advise on your situation. MusterVault organizes records, never gives claims advice, and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.