VA Form 21-0781, Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for PTSD - also known as the VA PTSD Form 21-0781 - is a specific application form issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The form has to be filled out by every person who is placing a claim for PTSD - or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - with the Department. The claimants have to document the event or series of events that led to the disorder during their military service.
Veterans with a Purple Heart award, a Combat Infantryman Badge, or a Combat Action Ribbon may not be asked to fill out the form when applying for a VA disability compensation. The VA should notify you if the filing is necessary.
The latest version of the form was released on July 1, 2017, with the previous edition obsolete. An up-to-date VA Form 21-0781 fillable version is available for digital filing and download below or can be found on the VA website.
Another form that can be filled out to claim service-connected PTSD is the VA Form 21-0781A, which should be completed by veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD due to a personal assault during their service that contributed to their current condition. The form asks to list the particular stressful incident or incidents and provide additional information on the event.
The VA Administration will initiate their own investigation order to assess whether the applicant is owed any benefits in connection with the incident. The applicant also has to specify all available sources and list the witnesses that may give any supporting information concerning the reported assault.
If a veteran would like the VA to obtain the treatment records from a healthcare provider, the VA Form 21-0781a should be submitted along with the Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The form does not have to be written in one sitting. Talk to a counselor, a friend or a therapist before beginning the work on your statement if you feel too stressed when recalling the details of the event.
You will need to have your military records at hand to fill out the form. The records will help you to identify all dates, times and places correctly. Other valuable sources of information are letters that may have been written home as well as any emails or text messages, Facebook and other social media posts, and diary entries.
Remember to include the following key points when filling out the VA 21-0781:
Writing the PTSD claim can be extremely difficult because of a need to remember traumatic events and to be accurate about details, but it is something that has to be done. Here are the steps that you should follow:
The applicants have to detail the in-service event which may have contributed to the claimed PTSD. The information that should be included in the veteran's best interest includes the following:
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