You Earned It
The Checklist Every Veteran Should Run Through
You spent years earning what the VA owes you. This is the short, plain-language list that makes sure none of it slips through the cracks - 14 things worth an afternoon of your time. No jargon, no cost, and no one rushing you.
Start anywhere. Skip what does not apply. Come back any time.
Nobody gets through all of this in one sitting, and you do not have to. Work down the list at your own pace. When you are ready to actually check items off and keep track, do it in your free Document Vault - it saves your progress and lets a spouse or adult child help.
Documents
3 itemsThe papers every claim and every survivor benefit is built on. Find them and keep copies safe.
Find your DD-214 and save a copy in your Document Vault
It is the single most important military document. Almost every benefit starts with it.
How to get your DD-214Locate your most recent VA rating decision letter
This proves your disability rating and controls your monthly compensation.
Recover your recordsGather marriage, birth, and any death certificates
Survivors need certified copies to claim benefits. Keep them together and easy to find.
Organize your documentsBenefits
4 itemsMoney and care you earned. Some of it is easy to miss - so check each one, even if you think it does not apply.
Confirm you are enrolled in VA health care
Enrollment can unlock care and prescriptions. You can check or apply on VA.gov.
VA health careSee if you qualify for Aid & Attendance
Extra tax-free monthly money if you need help with daily activities or are housebound.
Aid & AttendanceCheck the PACT Act list for toxic-exposure conditions
The PACT Act added many presumptive conditions. You may be owed compensation you never claimed.
PACT Act & exposureMake sure the VA has your current direct deposit and contact info
Outdated banking or address info is a common reason payments and letters go missing.
Key VA contactsLegal & Wishes
4 itemsThe decisions that spare your family confusion later - and make sure your voice is heard if you cannot speak for yourself.
Put a financial power of attorney in place
Names someone you trust to handle money and bills if you cannot. Store it in your Vault.
Wills & estate basicsPut a health care power of attorney and advance directive in place
Lets a trusted person make medical decisions and records your care wishes.
Wills & estate basicsMake or update your will
Spells out your wishes and spares your family confusion and delay.
Wills & estate basicsWrite down your burial and military-honors wishes
Veterans have earned burial benefits, including a VA national cemetery and military honors.
Burial & memorial benefitsFamily
3 itemsThe part most veterans skip. Everything above only helps if the people you love know it exists.
Fill out the "Sit Down Together" worksheet with your family
One place with your service history, VA status, contacts, and where everything is kept.
The Sit-Down Together worksheetAdd your spouse or adult child as a Trusted Person in your Vault
They get their own secure sign-in so nothing is ever locked away when they need it.
Open your Document VaultTell your family where your important papers are kept
Even the best documents do not help if no one can find them. Say it out loud, today.
Plan it togetherKeep a copy where your family can find it
Print this page for the folder, the safe, or the kitchen drawer. Then sit down with your spouse or an adult child and go through it together with the Sit-Down Together worksheet.
Information only - not legal advice
For information purposes only - this is not legal, financial, or medical advice. The Aging Veteran is a private service and is not part of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits are subject to VA eligibility rules. Always confirm your specifics on va.gov or with a qualified professional.
Want help working through your list?
Ask Albert, our free assistant, about any item on this checklist - which benefits you may be owed, how to find a document, or what to do first. Private, and here any time.
Prefer to read first? Browse our free resources.