Filing a disability claim with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) should be straightforward. You served. You were injured or became ill. You deserve support. But the reality is that the process is complex, paper-heavy, and easy to get wrong — and mistakes can mean months of delays or an unnecessary denial.
After working with veterans navigating the system, I’ve seen the same stumbling blocks come up again and again. Here are five of the most common — and what to do instead. If you’re starting from scratch, our plain-language guide to VAC disability benefits covers every step.
1. Filing Without Medical Evidence
A VAC disability claim lives or dies on medical documentation. The most common reason claims are delayed or denied isn’t that the veteran doesn’t have a legitimate condition — it’s that the paperwork doesn’t connect that condition to their service.
What you need: a clear, written statement from a medical professional (doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist) that confirms your diagnosis and links it — directly or indirectly — to your service. This is called establishing a “service connection.” Without it, VAC has nothing to work with.
Before you submit Form PEN923 (First Application for Disability Benefits), make sure your medical documentation is in order. If your primary care provider isn’t familiar with VAC requirements, ask them to be specific: diagnosis, onset, and how service may have contributed.
2. Not Giving VAC Permission to Communicate on Your Behalf
If you want someone — a benefits navigator, advocate, family member, or legal representative — to speak to VAC on your behalf, you must file a Form 664 (Appointment of Representative). Without it, VAC cannot share any details about your file with anyone, even with your consent verbally.
Many veterans assume a phone call is enough. It isn’t. Form 664 is a legal document. File it early, so there’s no gap in communication if you need someone to step in.
3. Leaving the Psychiatric Questionnaire Until It’s Too Late
For claims involving mental health — PTSD, depression, anxiety, operational stress injuries — VAC requires a Psychiatric Medical Questionnaire (PEN6248f). This form must be completed by a psychiatrist or psychologist, not a family doctor.
Specialist appointments can take weeks or months to secure. Veterans who don’t know about this form often submit their initial application before they have it — and then wait for the specialist, while the clock runs.
If your claim involves mental health, start pursuing the psychiatric assessment at the same time you begin gathering your other documents. Don’t wait.
4. Not Keeping Copies of Everything
This sounds obvious, but it’s more important than most veterans realize. VAC processes thousands of files. Documents get misrouted, lost, or simply not scanned correctly. If you don’t have copies of what you submitted and when, you have no way to prove what you sent.
Keep a simple file — digital or paper — with copies of every form you submit, every letter you receive, and notes from any phone calls (date, time, name of the agent if possible). If your file ever needs to be appealed or reviewed, this record is invaluable.
5. Giving Up After a Denial
A denial is not the end. It is the beginning of a conversation.
VAC denials can be appealed. The appeal process exists specifically because initial decisions don’t always get it right — missing information, insufficient documentation, or a claim that wasn’t framed clearly enough can all contribute to a denial that doesn’t reflect your actual situation.
If your claim is denied, read the decision letter carefully. It will tell you what was missing or unconvincing. That’s your roadmap for the appeal. You have the right to request a review, submit additional evidence, or escalate to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB).
Many successful claims were once denied. Don’t let the first letter be the last word.
You Deserve Support — Let’s Make Sure You Get It
The VAC system isn’t designed to be hostile. But it is designed for people who understand how bureaucracies work — and most veterans aren’t given a roadmap when they leave service.
That’s what I do. As a Benefits Navigation Consultant, I help veterans understand the forms, gather the right documentation, and present their case clearly — so the process doesn’t become another thing to fight through alone.
If you’re not sure where to start, or if a claim hasn’t gone the way you expected, let’s talk. Download the VAC Disability Claim Checklist for a complete reference, or fill out the Veterans intake form to get things moving.