Anne Hughes

Are you a veteran who is suffering from a service-related injury or illness? Claims received by August 9 are eligible for 12 months of backdated compensation.

There’s no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits. But if you file your PACT Act claim — or quickly submit your intent to file — on or before August 9, you may receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022, if approved.

If you need help filing a disability claim, you can contact a VA regional office and ask to speak to a counselor. To find the nearest regional office, please call (800) 827-1000. You can also click here for additional help and information.

An accredited representative, like a Veterans Service Officer (VSO), can help you fill out your claim.

You can check eligibility here. If you have previously submitted a claim for a condition now considered presumptive (meaning that it is assumed to have been caused by your service) and the claim is still pending, no new action is needed. If you were denied a claim for a condition now made presumptive by the PACT Act, you can file a supplemental claim here.

For more information on filing claims with the VA, or to access resources available to guide you through the process, please see here. For more information about the Honoring our PACT Act, see the Veterans’ Affairs resource page or call 1-800-MyVA411. 

The Honoring Our PACT Act added new presumptive conditions for radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and burn pit exposures and expanded benefit eligibility to nearly 3.5 million veterans. The legislation also expanded the enrollment period for post-9/11 veterans to enroll in Veterans Affairs benefits (VA) and authorized new VA medical and research centers.