M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 1.A
Duty to notify and assist
Know when VA must explain what is needed and help obtain it.
An incomplete application may need a completion notice before normal development begins. Once the claim is in the proper posture, identify the facts needed to decide it, give the required notice, and pursue the relevant evidence through the proper development rules.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 1.B
Due process
Determine which notice procedure applies before taking adverse action.
When a proposed action could reduce or end benefits, determine whether advance due process applies. Send the required proposal notice to everyone entitled to it, allow the response or hearing opportunity, and use contemporaneous notice only when its exception applies.
Reviewed changes and handling notes · 2026-09-06
The update is editorial: it broadens a computer-application example and clarifies wording. The notice and first-party/third-party distinctions are unchanged.
- I.i.1.B.1.b–d: Identify the action, origin of information, and everyone entitled to notice. Field-examiner information is not invariably third party: supporting beneficiary documents/statements or a fully completed VA Form 27-0820 can bring the described exceptions into play. The LIE accounting-suspension exception is a specific exception, not a general competency-review shortcut.
- I.i.1.B.2.a: Apply the notice table and its exceptions. POA information originating with the beneficiary differs from independently sourced POA information. If origin is unclear, seek verification; if the claimant cannot be reached, process it as information not originating with the beneficiary. Use the separate adverse-action procedure for the actual issue.
Review covers the changes and their effect on existing guidance. It does not establish a complete decision path for this article.
Read captured manual article · Official article ↗M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.A
Power of attorney
Confirm VA-recognized representation and its scope.
A state-law power of attorney is not automatically VA representation. Verify the current VA appointment, whether it is limited or unlimited, whether the claimant is competent, and whether a revocation or change affects who may act or receive notice.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.B
Representative notice and records
Include the right representative—but disclose only what the appointment permits.
For correspondence and decisions within the representation's scope, make sure the correct representative receives the required copy. Before allowing record review or disclosure, check the appointment, scope, privacy restrictions, and any protected-information rules.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C
POA system updates
Process a valid appointment promptly and make the electronic record match it.
Review the appointment form for completeness, identity, signatures, and scope. Upload and update the applicable systems promptly. If representation is limited, mark that limitation clearly so unrelated material is not disclosed; do not establish or change POA from an incomplete form.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 3
Third-party disclosures
Do not release protected claim information just because someone asks.
Disclosure outside VA needs a lawful basis. For a non-representative third party, use a valid authorization when required: confirm the signer, identity information, permitted information, duration, security question, authorized recipient, and fiduciary signature when applicable.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 1.A
VSC structure
Know which team owns the next processing action.
A VSC can include intake, adjudication, and public-contact functions. Intake handles mail and records work; adjudication performs development, rating, and authorization; public contact assists visitors. Use this section to orient work, not to replace local assignment instructions.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 1.B
Pension Management Centers
Pension and survivor work is centralized; route it to the right PMC.
PMCs generally handle pension, survivors benefits, DIC, burial, and related accrued or substitution work, while living-Veteran disability compensation normally remains with a VSC. Check jurisdiction, special-case assignment, and transfer rules before moving a case.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 1.C
PMC procedures
Check whether the work belongs to a PMC before processing it.
PMCs process pension awards and survivors work, plus defined non-rating and adjustment work. They do not establish service connection for living Veterans. Identify the benefit and required action first, then follow the jurisdiction and eFolder procedure for that category.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 1.D
BEST
Some established-award adjustments and eligibility reviews are centralized.
BEST sites handle assigned non-rating workload such as benefit adjustments, required reviews, and particular eligibility determinations. A change in payment, dependency, matching information, incarceration, military pay, or another eligibility fact may belong in this lane rather than ordinary rating development.
Read the captured Part I source →M21-1, Part I, Subpart ii, 2
VA benefit programs
Identify the benefit before applying its rules.
Compensation, section 1151, pension, DIC, survivors pension, accrued benefits, dependency allowances, ancillary benefits, and A&A or housebound benefits have different eligibility and processing rules. Name the actual benefit sought and then use its dedicated manual part and CFR authority.
Read the captured Part I source →