Most families think of the filing date as the day the packet goes out. VA works from a different date, the effective date, which it assigns based on when it receives a claim or a qualifying notice. The gap between those two ideas is where money is won or lost, so the questions below belong in the first conversation with anyone who offers to help.1

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

What the effective date controls

The effective date is the starting point VA uses when it calculates any benefit it grants. A claim that is received early and approved later can carry an earlier starting point than one that arrives in pieces. You do not need to memorize the rule. You need to know which document starts the clock and whether your representative will document it.

The intent to file option

VA has a notice called an intent to file that can hold a place for a claim while the family gathers the rest of the proof. It has a set window, and that window is posted on VA.gov.1 Ask the representative whether they will file one and whether they will confirm in writing that VA received it.

Questions to ask before you sign anything

Ask who will submit the notice and on what day. Ask for a copy of whatever VA sends back, and keep it in the claim file. Ask what makes a claim complete when it is first sent, and what the representative will do if a form comes back missing. Ask whether any fee is tied to the outcome, and get that answer in writing before you agree to it.

Be wary of anyone who wants payment up front for a packet that could have been filed for free. The St. Louis offices page lists places that file without charge, and comparing their intake answers is a faster check than comparing their pamphlets.

What to check on the first notice back

When VA responds, compare the date on the acknowledgment with the date you sent the packet. If they differ, ask why before the claim moves further. Write the difference on the claim log so it is not lost later.

1 VA.gov, information on intent to file and the effective date of a claim.