PostalForm
Step 1 of 5Department of Veterans Affairs · 21-4138 · July 2024

21-4138 Customer-Assembly Preparation Kit

This workflow helps you prepare VA Form 21-4138 as a paper statement for an existing VA claim or process. PostalForm prepares the official form and delivers the unsigned preparation kit only to your verified address. PostalForm does not file, serve, or submit it. Review the statement, hand-sign and date the declaration, add the supporting evidence, verify that Form 21-4138 is the form VA requested, and personally submit the signed packet through VA.gov or the current VA claim-intake channel.

Prepare 21-4138 for your own final assembly and submission

PostalForm prepares and prints an unsigned customer-assembly kit and sends it only to your verified address. You perform final assembly and submission.

Preparation and delivery record only — not proof of filing or agency receipt
Current step
Claimant information
Veteran or beneficiary name, Veteran Social Security number, and Veteran date of birth
This step
5 fields · 3 required

PostalForm is not affiliated with Department of Veterans Affairs.

Step 1

Claimant information

Identify the veteran or beneficiary connected to the claim.

3 required
Veteran or beneficiary name *

Optional. Use it if VA assigned you a file number; otherwise your Social Security number is enough.

Optional. Older veterans may have a service number instead of, or in addition to, an SSN. Leave blank if you do not have one.

Veteran Social Security number *

VA uses this to match your statement to your claim file. Your information is encrypted and used only to prepare your form.

Veteran date of birth *

Helps VA confirm the statement belongs to your claim file.

Need more context?

The form is ready to fill now. If you want supporting instructions, mailing notes, or source links, they are below.

Important details+

Answer the guided questions and PostalForm prepares the official form, leaves signature areas blank, adds a customer instruction cover, and sends the packet only to your verified address. Nothing is filed or submitted for you. Review the statement, hand-sign and date the declaration, add the supporting evidence, verify that Form 21-4138 is the form VA requested, and personally submit the signed packet through VA.gov or the current VA claim-intake channel.

What you need+
  • Veteran or beneficiary identifying information
  • Current mailing address
  • A clear written statement supporting the claim
  • Supporting records or attachments referenced in the statement
  • Signature and date
  • Hand-sign the printed form after the preparation kit is delivered
  • Supporting evidence (optional) (optional) — Attach records or documents that support the statement, such as medical records, correspondence, or lay statements.
Form summary+

This workflow helps you prepare VA Form 21-4138 as a paper statement for an existing VA claim or process. PostalForm prepares the official form and delivers the unsigned preparation kit only to your verified address. PostalForm does not file, serve, or submit it. Review the statement, hand-sign and date the declaration, add the supporting evidence, verify that Form 21-4138 is the form VA requested, and personally submit the signed packet through VA.gov or the current VA claim-intake channel.

How it works+
  1. Answer the guided questions and review the prepared form information.
  2. PostalForm prints the official form with signature areas left blank and sends the customer-assembly kit only to your verified address.
  3. After delivery, follow the cover instructions, hand-sign where required, and add every original, certified record, payment, witness, certification, companion form, or other physical item.
  4. Verify the current deadline and destination, then personally complete final submission through the official channel.
Where it gets mailed+

PostalForm mails the unsigned preparation kit to you. You complete the signatures, physical enclosures, and final submission yourself.

Packet order+
  • Customer assembly instruction cover (remove and keep before final submission)
  • Prepared unsigned form (signature and reserved third-party fields blank)
  • Printed reference attachments
Common mistakes+
  • Leaving the remarks section too vague to help the claim reviewer.
  • Using VA Form 21-4138 when VA Form 21-10210 is the requested lay or witness statement form.
  • Forgetting to sign and date page 2.
  • Using an outdated mailing address for the VA Evidence Intake Center.
  • Omitting claimant identification details that tie the statement to the VA file.
  • Using PostalForm when VA.gov direct online submission is the required path for the claim.
FAQs+
When should I use VA Form 21-4138?

Use VA Form 21-4138 when another VA form or process asks you to share more information, such as additional claim, family, financial, reimbursement, or disability details that do not fit on the original form.

Do I need to sign VA Form 21-4138?

Yes. The form requires the veteran or beneficiary to sign and date the declaration section on page 2.

Can I attach supporting evidence with this form?

Yes. If your statement refers to medical records, correspondence, buddy statements, or other evidence, include those attachments with your mailing.

Is VA Form 21-4138 the same as VA Form 21-10210?

No. VA Form 21-4138 is the Statement in Support of Claim. VA Form 21-10210 is the Lay/Witness Statement, often called a buddy statement.

Can I submit VA Form 21-4138 online through VA.gov?

Yes. VA says you can submit the statement online instead of sending the paper form. This workflow prepares an unsigned paper kit for you to finish and submit yourself.

Where does the paper VA Form 21-4138 packet go?

For disability compensation claim correspondence, VA lists Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444. Confirm the current VA instructions before mailing.

Sources+
Related+
Last verified+

Last Department of Veterans Affairs verification: July 12, 2026