Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Application for Disability Compensation Benefits [FR Doc No: 2026-12555; OMB Control No. 2900-0747]

A family member of a veteran supports the VA's efforts to simplify disability compensation forms to make the claims process more accessible. The commenter requests that the VA use plain language, minimize paperwork, and provide consistent guidance to reduce confusion for veterans.

The commenter, a Camp Lejeune widow and advocate, opposes the proposed action because she believes that simplifying the paperwork form does not address the root cause of the problem: the poor quality, inconsistency, and lack of training in the claims review process. She argues that the VA should focus on improving reviewer education and accuracy rather than just reducing the number of forms.

The commenter supports the proposed information collection but suggests specific improvements to streamline the process. They recommend reducing the area for service verification, limiting the number of claims per application, and ensuring specific contact and identification information is retained.

The commenter suggests separating the application for Disability Compensation (DIC) and Survivor's Pension into two distinct forms to reduce confusion for applicants. They note that the VA currently uses different forms for these benefits and suggest including specific eligibility questions on each to help guide users.

The commenter supports the proposed reduction of VA Form 21-526EZ but argues that the VA should go further by moving toward a data-driven, auto-adjudication model. They advocate for using existing Department of Defense data and enterprise software to automatically approve benefits for certain conditions, thereby eliminating the need for manual applications entirely.