The six VA forms a disability claim runs on.
The claim itself, the three statement forms, the private-records release and the automobile allowance. What each one is for, when it’s the wrong one, how to fill it out, and which VeteranAI tool produces what goes in the blank box.
- Every form is free from VA.gov
- Official links, never a stale PDF
- Veteran owned and built
One claim form. Five you’ll meet along the way.
Every one is free from VA. What people find hard isn’t getting the form — it’s knowing which one, and what to put in it.
- I’m opening a claim, adding a condition, or asking for an increaseVA Form 21-526EZ →
- I’m describing my own condition in my own wordsVA Form 21-4138 →
- The claim is for PTSD or a mental-health condition tied to something that happened in serviceVA Form 21-0781 →
- Someone who has watched my condition is writing about what they’ve seenVA Form 21-10210 →
- VA needs to get my records from a private doctor or hospitalVA Form 21-4142 →
- I need a vehicle or adaptive equipment for a service-connected lossVA Form 21-4502 →
- VA FORM 21-526EZ
The disability claim
Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits
The claim itself. Every initial claim, increase, secondary condition and Fully Developed Claim for disability compensation starts on this form.
About the 21-526EZ → - VA FORM 21-4138
Personal statement
Statement in Support of Claim
The general-purpose written statement — one page, mostly blank — where you tell VA in your own words what a condition does to your life.
About the 21-4138 → - VA FORM 21-0781
PTSD & trauma statement
Statement in Support of Claimed Mental Health Disorder(s) Due to an In-Service Traumatic Event(s)
The statement form for PTSD and other mental-health claims tied to something that happened in service — combat, an assault, MST, an accident, a death.
About the 21-0781 → - VA FORM 21-10210
Buddy statement
Lay/Witness Statement
The form for a first-hand account from someone who has watched your condition — a spouse, a battle buddy, a coworker. Better known as the buddy statement.
About the 21-10210 → - VA FORM 21-4142
Private records release
Authorization to Disclose Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs
The HIPAA release that lets VA request your treatment records from private doctors and hospitals on your behalf.
About the 21-4142 → - VA FORM 21-4502
Automobile allowance
Application for Automobile or Other Conveyance and Adaptive Equipment
The application for VA's one-time automobile allowance and for adaptive equipment, for veterans whose service-connected disabilities affect their ability to drive or get into a vehicle.
About the 21-4502 →
The form is the easy part.
Every one of these is free from VA. What goes in the blank box — the statement, the buddy letter, the records to ask for — is what VeteranAI builds with you.
Get Started Free17-day free trial · then $25 / month · never a cut of your back pay