America’s system for veteran support can reportedly trace its roots back to 1636, when the pilgrims passed a law promising that disabled soldiers would be supported by the colony. Today, the Veterans Affairs healthcare system has grown to include 152 hospitals, 800 community based outpatient clinics, 126 nursing home care units, and 35 domiciliaries. (Learn more about VA History here.) VA health care facilities emphasize that they provide a broad spectrum of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care for veterans. The Department of Veteran affairs also provides other benefits such as disability compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), housing, insurance, and education & tuition compensation.
Although substantial changes and improvements have been made across the board in recent years, the Department of Veterans Affairs still relies heavily on fillable forms and paperwork to process individuals’ information. If you’re planning to apply for veteran benefits, you’ll need to include an additional document called a “Statement in Support of Claim.”
VA Form 21-4138 is designed for you to write a detailed explanation of your request for VA benefits. Think of it as a cover letter that will introduce the rest of your documents to the VA administrator who’ll be reading them. It’s usually recommended to write a first draft of your statement on a scrap piece of paper, but because you can type directly on your statement using PDF editing software, it’s more convenient to make changes as you go, save, and come back to make edits later if you need to. You can even make changes on the go using the PDFfiller app for iPad or iPhone. When you’re done editing, you can add a signature, print it, email it, or even fax it to the VA office with the click of a button.
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Having trouble writing your statement? Try starting with something like this:
“Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing in response to your letter dated (mm/dd/yyy), reference number ###/ABC/DEF, in which you asked for _____________. Attached, I am supplying _____________ to (show/support/prove) that _________…”
For more advice on filling out VA Form 21-4138 (Statement in Support of Claim), check out this handy video tutorial:
Our editable forms for veterans—and active duty military personnel—don’t stop at claim statements. Using our search engine to browse our comprehensive library of forms, or upload the form you need straight from your desktop or email account.
Good luck, and we sincerely thank you for your selfless service & bravery.
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