Already Separated: file with the records you have now

Understand why this pathway differs from filing while still in service, and which rules apply to you now.

• If you have already separated, VA's pre-discharge programs (like BDD) no longer apply to you. You file a standard, postservice claim instead.
• VA states there is no time limit on filing a postservice claim, but the process may become more complex the longer you wait, since records and continuity of care can be harder to reconstruct.
• The BDD program's 180-90 day pre-discharge window and its 45-day exam-availability requirement (covered in the Standard ETS pathway) do not apply once you have separated; the rules on this page are for filing after discharge.

Understand what changes once your discharge paperwork is issued.

• Your DD-214 documents your dates of service, last duty assignment, decorations, and characterization of discharge, and it is a standard piece of evidence VA uses once you file.
• You do not need to separately request it just to file: VA states that if you submit an application for benefits, VA will request your DD-214 for you when it receives your application.
• Keep your own copy and know where it is. It is commonly requested outside the VA claims process too, for employment, other federal benefits, or veterans' organization membership.

Understand the shift from service treatment records to VA and private treatment records as your ongoing evidence source.

• While you were serving, your service treatment records (STRs) were the main record documenting your health. After separation, that record is closed; ongoing evidence now comes from VA and private care.
• For an original claim, VA generally needs evidence of a current disability, an in-service event, injury, or disease, and a medical link between them.
• Your STRs still matter for establishing what happened in service. What is different now is that your current condition and its ongoing treatment are documented by VA or civilian providers, not your unit's medical record.

Understand who holds your older service and treatment records, and how to request them.

• Military service records, including STRs, are generally held by the National Archives once separation is complete.
• You can request them online through the National Archives' eVetRecs tool (requires ID.me verification), or by mailing or faxing a completed Standard Form 180.
• Some more recent separations are instead accessible through DoD's milConnect: Air Force after October 1, 2004; Army after October 1, 2002; Marine Corps after January 1, 1999; Navy after January 1, 1995. Check which system applies to your branch and separation date before requesting.

Understand how filing this form works once you are already separated.

• The same VA Form 21-526EZ used before separation is used for a postservice claim. As a standard claim, VA is responsible for requesting relevant federal records you identify and authorize it to obtain, and will make reasonable efforts to obtain other relevant records you identify.
• You are still responsible for submitting relevant evidence in your possession, or providing enough information for VA to request it.
• Filing online at VA.gov is generally the fastest method; it can also be mailed to VA's Claims Intake Center or submitted through a Veterans Service Officer.

Understand the specific effective-date rule that applies if you file within one year of separation. This rule is separate from Standard ETS's BDD pre-discharge program.

• This is a different rule from the BDD program covered in the Standard ETS pathway. BDD is about filing before you separate; this rule is about the effective date VA assigns after you file, and it applies whether or not you used BDD.
• For a disability directly linked to service, if VA receives your claim within one year of leaving active service, the effective date can be as early as the day following your separation.
• This means back pay can potentially reach all the way to the day after discharge, even if VA's decision itself takes much longer to reach, as long as the claim was received within that one-year window.

Understand how the effective-date rule changes once the one-year window has passed.

• If VA receives your claim more than one year after you left active service, the day-after-separation effective date no longer applies.
• Instead, the general rule applies: the effective date is the date VA receives your claim, or the date your entitlement arose (generally when medical evidence shows the condition existed), whichever is later.
• This is why timing can matter for back pay, even though there is no deadline that prevents you from filing at all. Filing sooner does not create urgency about eligibility, only about how far back the effective date can reach.

Understand what an understandable post-separation treatment history looks like.

• Continuity of care means an accurate, followable record of ongoing treatment, not scheduling appointments solely to create evidence.
• Whether you use VA health care, private providers, or both, keep track of provider names, dates, and what was addressed at each visit.
• If you change providers or systems, note prior treatment, medications, and any unresolved referrals so the history remains connected.

Avoid letting an unexplained treatment gap make your history harder to follow.

• A gap in treatment does not automatically decide a claim, but an unexplained gap can make it harder for VA to follow what happened between separation and your current condition.
• If you did not seek care for a period, be prepared to explain why (access, cost, not recognizing symptoms, and similar reasons are common) rather than leaving the gap unaddressed.
• Do not schedule appointments you do not medically need solely to fill a gap. Focus on getting appropriate care and letting the record reflect it accurately.

Avoid confusing the lack of a filing deadline with the lack of any timing consequence.

• VA does not set a deadline for filing a postservice claim, but that does not mean timing is irrelevant.
• The one-year-from-separation effective-date rule means filing sooner can preserve an earlier potential effective date and more back pay if your claim is granted.
• Waiting also does not improve your evidence by itself. Older records can become harder to locate, and memories of specific in-service events can fade, both of which can make a later claim more complex to support.