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How to Add Evidence to Your VA Disability Claim
I have been getting the title of the this alot.
Yes, you can add evidence to a VA disability claim after it has been submitted, as long as the claim is still open (not yet decided). Great example, is you decide to have a provider complete the VAs DBQ as your medical evidence is limited and it was after you already pressed submit. Some claims take several months so you shouldn’t worry about not submitting it.
Here are your options depending on the stage of your claim:
✅ If the claim is still in progress (Pending / Under Review):
You can submit additional evidence directly via:
- VA.gov (log in → go to your claim → “Upload documents”) Only method I recommend
- Mail to: Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444
(Use a VA Form 21-4138 or 20-10210 to explain what you’re submitting) - Fax: 844-531-7818 (for domestic) or 248-524-4260 (international)
- Mail to: Department of Veterans Affairs
Be sure to include:
- Your VA file number or SSN
- The specific claim it relates to
- A clear description of what the evidence is and why it’s relevant
If a decision has already been made: (you got your claim letter back from the VA)
You cannot just “add” evidence—you’ll need to take one of these steps:
| Scenario | Action | Form |
|---|---|---|
| You’re still within the 1-year appeal window | File a Supplemental Claim | VA Form 20-0995. do it online and your lay letters don’t have to be on the official form |
| You think a clear error was made | File a Higher-Level Review | VA Form 20-0996 do it online and your lay letters don’t have to be on the official form |
| You want a hearing with a judge (last last resort) | File a Board Appeal (18 months!) | VA Form 10182 do it online and your lay letters don’t have to be on the official form |
In all three cases, you can submit new evidence (except during Higher-Level Review, where no new evidence is allowed).
Hope this helps folks out there!
VA Claims Processing: Success or Hidden Challenges?
In the July 2025 newsletter, the Department of Veterans Affairs proudly announced that it had “processed” over 2 million disability claims—faster than ever before. At first glance, this milestone sounds like a tremendous success. But for veterans who have lived at the intersection of military service and medical hardship, there’s a deeper story behind the headlines.
As a veteran and someone who assists others in navigating the VA claims process, I’ve learned to read between the lines. The newsletter fails to disclose how many of those 2 million claims were denied—a critical omission that affects real lives. A high throughput of claim processing does not necessarily equate to high-quality or just outcomes for veterans.
At the same time, the VA linked to its public repository of Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) available here. These are detailed, medically technical forms that the VA encourages veterans to bring to their private providers to “expedite” claims—allegedly reducing costs and time associated with VA-conducted exams.
On the surface, this sounds like a win-win. But if you’ve filled out one of these forms or asked a doctor to complete one, you know that each DBQ is 12 to 16 pages long, highly technical, and time-consuming. It could take an experienced clinician over an hour—per form—with no reimbursement provided by the VA.
Let’s pause there: the government is asking veterans to pay out of pocket or call in favors from already overburdened civilian providers, many of whom are unfamiliar with VA language, legal thresholds, or the 38 CFR standards. These forms may reduce government costs, but they shift that burden onto the backs of those who served.
And what’s more concerning is this: Is this an unspoken gatekeeping tactic? Is the sheer complexity of DBQs and the absence of compensation for providers quietly slowing down or stalling new claims from older-era veterans—those who served between 1965 and 2015—who didn’t benefit from the digital medical records era?
As someone working daily with veterans—at the proverbial GEMBA or “point of the spear”—I’ve witnessed firsthand how the standard of approval appears to have shifted. In the first few months of this administration, P&E exams were paused for over three months. Now, adjudications seem stricter than ever. Subjective? Perhaps. But for many veterans, this feels like a regression, not progress.
Questions We Should Be Asking the VA:
- What percentage of the 2 million “processed” claims were denied, granted, or partially awarded?
- Why are providers not compensated for the time it takes to complete detailed DBQs?
- Has the standard of adjudication shifted from the traditional “at least as likely as not” (51%) burden of proof?
- Why are we not leveraging modern AI and automation tools to reduce claim burden for the veteran?
- How does the VA plan to assist older veterans—whose medical records are often incomplete or paper-based—in navigating these requirements?
