The VA says that “last year, more Veterans submitted their “intent to file” (ITF) for benefits claims than ever before. These ITFs are disability compensation claims that Veterans started, but didn’t finish, and they’re an important tool because they help Veterans preserve their earliest possible effective date for their benefits claim, which makes them potentially eligible for backdated benefits.”
The clock is ticking.
You only have 365 days from when you submitted your ITF to complete it to preserve the earliest possible effective date for your benefits. So, if you submitted an ITF last year, you should act fast.
How will this affect my benefits?
If the VA grants you benefits, your retroactive benefits (or backdated benefits) will likely date back to at least the date when you began your intent to file which could mean thousands of dollars in your pocket. If you are granted benefits under the PACT Act and you submitted your ITF on or before August 14, 2023, you may be eligible for retroactive benefits dating back to when the PACT Act was signed into law, August 10, 2022.
How can I check the status of my PACT Act claim?
You can check the status of your PACT Act claim by signing in to your va.gov account. If you don’t have an account, you can create a free Login.gov or ID.me account. Once you are signed into your account, the VA advises you to simply follow these three steps to check the status of your PACT Act claim:
- “Go to your ‘My VA’ dashboard. You will find the link for this dashboard in the top right corner of the page once you’re signed in.
- Scroll down to the ‘Track Claims’ section. There, you will see a summary of the latest status information for any open claims or appeals you may have, to include open ITFs.
- Click on the ‘View Status’ button for a specific claim. You’ll go to a page with more details about that claim’s status and supporting evidence. Evidence may include documents like doctor’s reports or medical test results. “
Is it too late to file a claim if I haven’t already?
The VA says that “it’s never too late to file a claim or ITF for the benefits you deserve. You can file one by logging into, or creating, a VA.gov account and submitting online.” You can also work with a trained professional like a VA accredited attorney to get help filing a claim for disability compensation.
.If I miss the one-year deadline, what happens?
You can and should finish your claim anytime. The only things that could change are the effective date of your benefits and the amount of your backpay.
