M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 1.A
Centralized Mail intake
Treat incoming mail as a controlled intake event.
Receive, sort, scan, route, and control incoming material under the centralized-mail procedure. Preserve the mail item's identity and receipt information; an intake action is not permission to decide the underlying claim.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 1.B
VCIP shipping
Use the prescribed shipping channel for physical claim material.
When a document or package must move through the Veterans Claims Intake Program, prepare, track, and ship it under the VCIP rules. Do not use an informal delivery method where the controlled process applies.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.A
Screening mail
Identify what arrived before deciding what to do with it.
Screen mail for the type of submission, potential claim effect, urgency, routing needs, and whether a date-of-receipt or document-control action is required. Route it to the proper workflow instead of treating all correspondence as normal claim evidence.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.B
Receipt dates, signatures, and old forms
Protect the right receipt date and resolve form defects correctly.
Record the controlling date of receipt under the mail rules. Then check whether a signature, prescribed form, or form version creates a defect. Do not casually substitute a scan date, later action date, or newer form for the legally relevant fact.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.C
Mail management
Control mail through receipt, routing, and completion.
Use the designated procedures for mail that needs scanning, routing, association, return, or another controlled action. Keep the paper or electronic item traceable until the responsible action is completed.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.D
Specific mail types
Some mail triggers its own procedure.
Identify special correspondence—such as evidence, claims material, protected records, returned mail, or other defined categories—and follow its dedicated instructions. A special item may affect jurisdiction, dates, notice, or security.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 1.A
Claims folders
Create or convert the record so the claim has one usable official file.
Establish a new folder or convert an older record under the applicable process. Confirm identifiers, associate available material, and avoid creating duplicate or fragmented records that obscure the claimant's history.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 1.B
Lost or duplicate folders
Resolve the record problem before relying on it.
If a paper folder is lost or duplicate records exist, search, reconcile, reconstruct as required, and document the action. Do not assume a partial file is the complete evidentiary record.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.A
Folder maintenance
Keep the official record accurate, organized, and usable.
Associate documents correctly, correct record-maintenance problems, and follow the eFolder and paper-record rules that preserve a reliable claim history. File maintenance is quality control, not mere housekeeping.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.B
Restricted records
Control access to sensitive records.
When records require restricted storage or handling, apply the security and access controls before moving, reviewing, or disclosing them. A normal claims task does not override a restriction.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.C
Locked files
A locked record needs the locked-file procedure—not a workaround.
Identify why the folder is locked, preserve the restriction, and follow the required maintenance or release process. Do not create a parallel file or bypass the control to make work easier.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 3
Jurisdiction and transfer
Work the case where it belongs, then transfer it cleanly if it does not.
Confirm which office, team, or specialized center owns the claim. If jurisdiction changes, complete the required transfer actions and record control so responsibility and evidence do not get lost between locations.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.A
Applications for benefits
Start with the correct benefit, form, and claimant information.
Identify the benefit requested and whether the submission uses the prescribed application. Review the required identifying information, signatures, claimed benefit or issue, and any special form rules before beginning ordinary development.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.B
Eligibility screening
Check obvious threshold eligibility before investing in the wrong development path.
Screen the application for benefit-specific eligibility issues that must be resolved early. This does not decide the merits; it identifies whether a threshold fact, form, or jurisdictional question needs action first.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 1.C
Substantial completeness
Decide whether the application is complete enough to process normally.
Use the substantial-completeness standard for the particular benefit and form. If essential information is missing, send the appropriate completion notice and follow the response rules rather than silently treating the defect as resolved.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.A
Claims establishment
Create the correct claim control for what was actually received.
After identifying the claim type and issues, establish the appropriate control, label, and end product under the claims-establishment rules. Incorrect establishment can distort due dates, work routing, and later development.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B
System updates
Make the electronic systems reflect the claim you established.
Update the required systems with accurate claim, claimant, issue, and control information. Treat the system record as part of the case: an unrecorded correction or misclassified issue can produce the wrong downstream work.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 4.A
Online-application services
Handle electronic submissions through their dedicated intake rules.
For supported online claim-submission channels, use the applicable rules to receive, validate, and establish the claim. Preserve receipt information and do not assume every online transaction is complete or ready for normal development.
Read the captured Part II source →M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 4.B
SEP claims
Process Stakeholder Enterprise Portal submissions as controlled electronic claims.
Recognize SEP-originated submissions, apply the prescribed receipt and establishment rules, and resolve any defect under the correct electronic-claims procedure. The portal source does not remove form, completeness, or notice requirements.
Read the captured Part II source →