The military life is hard, and can often wear down a veteran's body. America recognizes the hardship military personnel go through, and has created a military compensation system for service-related disabilities. As an added benefit, Veteran's Association disability is tax-free. As more and more veterans enter the VA system from Iraq and Afghanistan, however, filing for disability takes longer. Understanding the system and having your paperwork filled out correctly greatly improves a veteran's chances of getting his or her disability in a timely manner.

Disability compensation is a benefit paid to a veteran because of injuries or diseases that happened while on active duty, or were made worse by active military service.

The first step for a veteran applying for VA disability: determining eligibility.

VA only offers disability to veterans who have a service-related disability and who were discharged in under other than dishonorable conditions. That means that veterans with honorable, general, and other-than-honorable discharges can apply for benefits.

The next step involves a great deal of paperwork. This paperwork can be confusing, so military members should look for help when filling it out.

Personnel leaving active duty should maximize the assistance of their service's equivalent of the Army Career Alumni Program.

If a veteran has been out of service for awhile and decides to file for disability, he or she should go to the local Veterans Administration office. The personnel at those offices can help the veteran figure out what forms to fill out, and can send all the necessary paperwork to the proper authorities.

If veterans feel comfortable filling out paperwork on their own, they can fill out many forms and submit them online at the VA Web page. These are the benefits veterans can apply for online: service-disabled veteran's insurance; compensation; pension; education; health; vocational rehabilitation and employment services.

To apply for disability, veterans must fill out the VA Form 21-526, Veterans Application for Compensation and/or Pension. Veterans should also include their DD-214 (which will verify your eligibility), dependency records (such as marriage or birth certificates), and any medical documentation such as hospital or doctor reports.

The VA Form 21-156 has only a limited space to write what you are seeking disability for. Keep writing on extra paper, and attach it to the form. Never allow a lack of space to limit what you try to claim. VA has a Web page that tells people how to fill out the form.

Veterans leaving active duty service should get a copy of their medical records made for the VA, and also a copy for themselves. Veterans have to write down the date and doctor of each disability they claim. Veterans should go through their medical records carefully and to make sure they do not forget any illness or injury they report.

My ACAP advisor made me write everything down, over three typed pages. I thought she was crazy. I got disability for issues I never realized could be an issue - I had just gotten used to adjusting my life around what was wrong. Never write off any problem as too petty.

VA likes to pay your disability through direct deposit, so come up with the savings or checking account you would want any possible disability payment made to.

Finally, sign and mail off your form, extra pages, and VA copy of your medical records to your local VA regional office.

While VA has a backlog of disability claims, they will eventually take care of your concern. They will pay your back pay to cover the months you should have been getting disability once they determine you deserve any pay. If you have questions about your claim, contact your regional office.

Learn more about this author, C. M. Erickson.
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