VA Form 20-5455 is no longer in use. The paper request has been replaced by an online Benefit Summary Letter that you can download in a few minutes from your VA.gov account, and the letter carries the same information the old form was designed to produce: your service-connected disability rating, monthly compensation amount, and service details. If you can’t get online, the VA still issues the letter by phone, by mail, through its QuickSubmit upload tool, or in person at a regional office.
Download the Letter From VA.gov
Go to the VA’s benefit letters page at va.gov/records/download-va-letters/ and sign in.1Veterans Affairs. Download VA Benefit Letters You’ll need either a Login.gov or ID.me account. My HealtheVet and DS Logon credentials are no longer accepted.2Veterans Affairs. Signing In to VA.gov
The portal will ask you to confirm the mailing address on file. That address prints on the letter, so update it if it’s wrong, though the letter is valid either way. Then pick the letter that fits your purpose:
- Benefit Summary and Service Verification Letter — the direct replacement for what Form 20-5455 used to generate. It confirms your service-connected disability rating, monthly payment amount, and service details.
- Benefit Verification Letter — a shorter version focused on current payment information.
- Civil Service Preference Letter — confirms eligibility for federal hiring preference based on disability status.
- Commissary Letter — verifies eligibility for commissary and exchange access.
- Proof of Service Card — documents your military service.
Click the letter you want and it downloads as a PDF. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print it.
What the Benefit Summary Letter Shows
The letter lists your combined service-connected disability evaluation percentage, which is the figure that drives your monthly compensation. It shows your gross monthly payment amount and the effective date of your current rating, so anyone reviewing it can see when the VA last changed your evaluation.
If the VA has found you permanently and totally disabled, the letter says so explicitly. That designation matters beyond compensation payments: it’s one of the qualifying conditions for dependents to receive educational benefits under the Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance program.3Veterans Affairs. Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance
You’ll also see your branch of service, service dates, and dependent information. The letter does not include detailed medical information about specific disabilities; it focuses on the rating percentage and financial data. If a third party needs medical specifics, that requires a separate records request.
Why Third Parties Ask for It
Most veterans request the letter because an outside organization needs official proof of VA status. Three situations account for most requests.
On a VA-backed home loan, the lender uses the letter to determine whether you owe a funding fee. Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the VA loan funding fee under federal law.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 3729 – Loan Fee The exemption also extends to surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected disabilities and to Purple Heart recipients on active duty. Without the letter, you could end up paying a fee that ranges from 1.25 to 3.3 percent of the loan amount.
Many states offer property tax exemptions or reductions for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and the same letter is what state agencies typically require as proof. It also works for disabled veteran license plates and parking placards. For federal jobs, agencies use the letter to confirm disability status when applying veterans’ preference during competitive hiring.1Veterans Affairs. Download VA Benefit Letters
If You Can’t Use the Online Portal
Every option below produces the same official document. All of them take longer than the instant download.
By Phone
Call 1-800-827-1000 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern. A representative can process the request and mail the letter to the address on file. Expect it within a couple of weeks.
By Mail or Fax
Send a written request to the VA’s centralized intake facility:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-44445Veterans Affairs. How to File a VA Disability Claim
Fax from inside the United States to (844) 531-7818. From outside the country, fax to (248) 524-4260. Include your full legal name as it appears on your military records, your Social Security number, and your VA file number if you have one, which is the eight- or nine-digit code assigned through the VA’s records system.6VA.gov Design System. Social Security or VA File Number Spell out what you need verified (disability rating, monthly payment, permanent and total status) so the response includes the right details.
QuickSubmit
The VA’s QuickSubmit tool lets you upload documents digitally at eauth.va.gov/accessva/?cspSelectFor=quicksubmit. First-time users complete a one-time registration and identify themselves as a veteran, family member, VA business partner, or VA employee.7VA News. QuickSubmit Is the New Evidence Intake Tool for VA Claims Sign in with Login.gov or ID.me.
In Person
Walk into any VA regional office and ask for a benefit verification letter. Bring a government-issued photo ID. Staff can often print a copy on the spot or help you use the online portal. Find your nearest regional office at va.gov/find-locations.
Having Someone Else Request It for You
If a family member, a Veterans Service Organization, or an attorney is handling this for you, the VA requires formal authorization before releasing your information. For a VSO, complete VA Form 21-22 (Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative).8Veterans Affairs. Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimants Representative For an individual representative such as a private attorney or claims agent, use VA Form 21-22a.
Only representatives accredited by the VA’s Office of General Counsel can act on your behalf. Verify accreditation at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp before signing anything. Once the authorization is on file, the representative can request benefit letters and communicate with the VA about your claims.
If the Letter Has Errors
The letter pulls directly from your VA records. If something is wrong (an outdated rating, a missing dependent, an incorrect payment amount) the underlying record has to be corrected. Start by calling 1-800-827-1000 to flag the discrepancy. A representative can sometimes tell you whether the issue is a processing delay or an actual error.
For a formal correction, submit VA Form 21-4138 (Statement in Support of Claim) explaining what’s wrong and what the correct information should be. Mail it to the Claims Intake Center at PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444, or upload it through QuickSubmit.9Department of Veterans Affairs. Statement in Support of Claim VA Form 21-4138 Include your name, Social Security number, VA file number, and date of birth, and sign and date the declaration section. Unsigned forms get returned.
One boundary worth naming: if the error comes from a recent rating decision you believe was wrong, that isn’t a correction request. It’s a decision review or appeal, which is a separate process with its own timelines and evidence rules. If a third-party deadline is pressing, ask the requesting organization whether they’ll accept a copy of your rating decision letter with a brief explanation while the correction moves through the system.