M21-1 Manual  /  Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 3, Section B

System Updates

M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 3, Section B

Overview

In This Section

This section contains the following topics:
TopicTopic Name
1Updating Contact and Direct Deposit Information
2Processing Name and Gender Identity Change Requests
3Updating Military Service Information
4Evidence Required to Change or Correct Existing Vital Information About a Beneficiary
5Reviewing and Updating the Veteran’s Cause of Death

1. Updating Contact and Direct Deposit Information

Introduction

This topic covers changing the claimant’s contact or direct deposit information, including
  • receiving valid notice of a change of contact or direct deposit information
  • updating contact and/or direct deposit information in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)
  • changing contact or direct deposit information when a fiduciary is assigned, and
  • homeless Veteran address resources.

Change Date

April 9, 2025

II.iii.3.B.1.a. Receiving Valid Notice of a Change of Contact or Direct Deposit Information

Claims processors may receive valid change of contact information or direct deposit notification via one of the methods identified in the table below.
Type of Information Being UpdatedValid Notices
Contact
Direct DepositImportant:
  • Section 3 of SF 1199A must be completed by the financial institution, not the claimant, in order to be deemed valid.
  • Claimants may contact the National Call Center (NCC) or use VA-approved claims submission services or websites such as VA.gov to make direct deposit updates without claims processor involvement. A third party authorized on a valid VA Form 21-0845 may also contact the NCC to request this update.
  • Participants in pre-discharge claim programs may also contact VA Military Services Coordinators or other VA pre-discharge (Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD), BDD-excluded, or Integrated Disability Evaluation System) intake site employees to establish or update direct deposit. A third party authorized on a valid VA Form 21-0845 may also contact the intake site to request this update. These direct deposit updates may also be accepted over the telephone, provided the pre-discharge intake site verifies the caller’s identify following guidance in Identification (ID) Protocol Requirements.
  • When VA receives a request for a direct deposit change that does not meet the criteria noted above, send the claimant an Invalid Direct Deposit Update letter, but do notupdate any of the direct deposit information in VA systems.
Exception: Only fiduciary hub (hub) employees are able to change an address or direct deposit information if the beneficiary has a fiduciary.Note: Update addresses, other contact details, and direct deposit and payment information in Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) when possible. References: For more information on

II.iii.3.B.1.b. Updating Contact and/or Direct Deposit Information in VBMS

Changes to contact and/or direct deposit information should be made in VBMS when possible. Updates can be performed outside of claims establishment by clicking the VETERAN drop-down menu and selecting
  • PROFILE, for a Veteran claimant, and
  • DEPENDENTS, for individual dependents.
Note: The Enterprise Management of Payments Workload and Reporting for VA allows VA to prevent fraudulent mailing or payment address updates for beneficiaries who have been repeated targets of such incidents. Employees will receive an error message when attempting to update a profile of a beneficiary that has been the target of a confirmed incident. Follow the instructions in the message to complete the necessary update. References: For more information on
  • receiving notice of a change of contact information or direct deposit, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.1.a, and
  • updating contact information in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

II.iii.3.B.1.c. Changing Contact or Direct Deposit Information When a Fiduciary Is Assigned

Veterans Service Center (VSC) and pension management center (PMC) employees must notify the hub of jurisdiction when a valid change of contact or direct deposit information is received for a beneficiary that has a fiduciary.Fiduciary appointment is documented on the
  • VETERAN PROFILE screen in VBMS when the FIDUCIARY INFORMATION field populates
  • DEPENDENTS screen in VBMS when the FIDNAME and FIDTYPE fields populate (for survivors), and
  • FID CATEGORY on the GENERAL INFO tab in Share.
Use the table below to route the system update to the hub of jurisdiction.
If the change of address or direct deposit information is ...Then ...
received while a VSC or PMC jurisdiction claim is pending
  • add a Stage 1 Development tracked item to the pending end product (EP)
  • set a 1-day suspense
  • send the hub of jurisdiction the requested address or direct deposit change through an encrypted e-mail
  • input a permanent VBMS note stating an e-mail was sent to the hub to update beneficiary contact/payment information, and
  • close the tracked item upon confirmation of the system update taking place.
not received while a VSC or PMC jurisdiction claim is pending
  • establish an EP 400 FID-Correspondence
  • input a permanent VBMS note stating the EP 400 was established to update beneficiary contact/payment information that needs to be completed by the hub, and
  • allow the National Work Queue to reassign the EP.
References: For more information on

II.iii.3.B.1.d. Homeless Veteran Address Resources

Use the following resources when researching a homeless Veteran’s address:Reference: For more information on processing claims for homeless Veterans, see

2. Processing Name and Gender Identity Change Requests

Introduction

This topic contains information on changing a claimant’s name and gender identity in the systems, including
  • evidence required for name changes
  • processing name changes, and
  • updating gender identity.

Change Date

September 25, 2024

II.iii.3.B.2.a. Evidence Required for Name Changes

Unless otherwise noted in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.4.b, VA requires the claimant or appointed VSO, agent, or attorney representing the claimant to submit a signed request and sufficient evidence of a legal name change before the claimant’s name can be changed in VA systems. Exception: A signed request and evidence is not required when VA is correcting a clerical mistake made by an employee when entering information into VA systems. References: For more information on
  • the general scope of a representative’s authority, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.A.4.a
  • evidence requirements for name changes, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.4.a, and
  • types of acceptable evidence for vital information changes, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.4.b.

II.iii.3.B.2.b. Processing Name Changes

Process name changes in VBMS using the VETERAN drop-down menu and selecting
  • PROFILE, for a Veteran claimant, and
  • DEPENDENTS, for individual dependents.

Document the action by adding a permanent, Veteran-level VBMS note.

Reference: For more information on editing Veteran and dependent profile information, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

II.iii.3.B.2.c. Updating Gender Identity

Claims processors may receive a request by a claimant, dependent, or beneficiary to update their gender identity in VA systems. While there are no special evidentiary requirements for updating a self-identified gender identity, requests by the individual (or their appointed VSO, agent, or attorney) must be documented. Notes:
  • The request may be independent of or incorporated within the evidence provided to modify the individual’s vital information.
  • Add a permanent VBMS note when modifying the gender identity of an individual already in VA systems.
References: For more information on


3. Updating Military Service Information

Introduction

This topic contains information on updating military service information, including
  • military service verification
  • information required to verify military service in VBMS, and
  • updating VA systems for
    • active service based on
      • a single day of active duty for training (ADT) or inactive duty for training (IADT), and
      • multiple periods of ADT or IADT
    • claims when ADT or IADT is the only service
    • active service based on multiple Title 10 activations of seven days or less, and
  • updating VBMS when a period of ADT or ADT is determined to be active service.

Change Date

February 2, 2026

II.iii.3.B.3.a. Military Service Verification

The MILITARY SERVICE tab in VBMS displays periods of service that have been entered into VA’s corporate record. Military service information is validated by
  • claims processors using electronic claims folder evidence or access to VA/Department of Defense (DoD) Identity Repository (VADIR) data, or
  • direct data sharing with DoD.
All periods of active service must be verified. Verified service is shown on the VBMS MILITARY SERVICE tab by
  • a YES in the SYSTEM VERIFIED SERVICE field, or
  • the claims processor selecting YES in the VERIFIED field.
Important:
  • Claims processors are responsible for ensuring that any unverified period of active duty is entered into VBMS as soon as VA is notified of the (unverified) period of active duty. The service will be marked as verified after VA receives all information required to verify military service.
  • Each regional office employee must check to ensure all periods of active service are updated and verified in VBMS when undertaking any claim action. Failure to ensure the period of service is marked verified may result in VBMS-Awards failing to process the award.
  • All periods of active service must be updated and verified in VBMS by the rating activity prior to completion of the rating decision. Failure to do so will result in inaccurate or incomplete service displayed on the rating decision Codesheet.
  • System Verified Service information in VBMS that has been verified but is proven to be incorrect by other credible evidence should be updated or replaced with the correct information, however applicable.
Exceptions:
  • Claims worked by the PMCs only require verification of the period of service on which the claim is based. The other periods of active service, if they exist, must be entered into VBMS but do not need to be verified to make a decision on the claim. If it is uncertain what period of service on which the claim is based, then all periods of active service must be verified.
  • Specific procedures for updating VA systems to show service for
References: For more information on

II.iii.3.B.3.b. Information Required to Verify Military Service in VBMS

To properly verify active military service, the following information must be available to VA and entered in VBMS:
  • entered on date (EOD)
  • date of release from active duty (RAD)
  • branch of service
  • character of service, and
  • separation reason.
Important:
  • When available, include the claimant's service number.
  • Never add a period of ADT or IADT in VBMS as a period of active duty without a rating activity determination that the period qualifies as active service. The SERVICE TYPE field must initially reflect whether it is a period of ADT or IADT. After the rating activity determines service connection (SC) is warranted and the period is considered active service, follow the instructions in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g to properly update the service information.
Notes:
  • In most cases, a separation reason of DEV indicates that further development may be required. Upon verification of service, the separation reason must be updated.
  • For Merchant Marines, a separation reason of DEV may not require clarification if it meets the criteria discussed in M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, 5.A.2.e.
References: For more information on
  • verifying military service in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide, and
  • handling cases involving a former service member with an uncharacterized separation from service, see M21-1, Part X, Subpart iv, 1.B.

II.iii.3.B.3.c. Updating VA Systems for Active Service Based on a Single Day of ADT or IADT

When SC for disability or death has been established based on a single day of ADT or IADT, the rating activity will update VBMS to reflect that the period of service is active service. Note: The corporate record will not allow entry of the same date as both EOD and RAD. The rating activity will utilize the day following as the end date of service but clearly indicate in the SPECIAL NOTATION box on the rating Codesheet (as directed in M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 1.A.2.k) that the service was actually only one single day of service.References: For more information on
  • what fields need to be updated to designate ADT or IADT as active service in VBMS, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g, and
  • rating activity documentation of the period of ADT/IADT upon which a grant of SC is based, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 1.A.2.

II.iii.3.B.3.d. Updating VA Systems for Active Service Based on Multiple Periods of ADT or IADT

In circumstances where a claimed disability or death arises as a result of injuries, diseases, or covered conditions incurred in or aggravated during multiple periods of ADT or IADT, only the specific periods of ADT or IADT are considered active service. Example: SC is warranted for hearing loss based on noise exposure sustained during a claimant’s 20-year career in the Reserves. The entire 20-year span is not considered active service. Rather, only the individual periods of ADT or IADT during which the noise exposure (which is the conceded in-service injury in these situations) occurred are considered active service. For certain situations, such as claims for hearing loss granted based on multiple periods of ADT or IADT, VA systems may not have the capacity to accept entry of all individual periods of service. Additionally, if the injury, such as acoustic trauma, is being conceded based on the entire span of the ADT and IADT, specific verification of each period of ADT or IADT is not necessary unless
  • a subsequent claim for SC based on a specific period of service is received, and
  • verification of the period of service is necessary to decide the claim, as discussed in M21-1, Part III, Subpart i, 1.A.2.k.
When multiple periods of ADT or IADT are utilized to establish SC for a disability or death, the rating activity will
  • annotate the rating decisions to reflect the timespan of the periods of ADT and IADT upon which the grant of SC for disability or death is based, and
  • update only the initial period of ADT (normally, the period of initial military training) as active service in VBMS.
Exception: If the periods of service are concurrent with the receipt of VA benefits and the Veteran’s eligibility to benefits is impacted, then all periods impacting payment of benefits must be verified and entered into VBMS. References: For more information on
  • updating service in VBMS, see
    • M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.a, and
    • the VBMS Core User Guide
  • what fields need to be updated to designate ADT or IADT as active service in VBMS, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g, and
  • adjudicating claims for SC for hearing loss and/or tinnitus associated with ADT or IADT service, see M21-1, Part V, Subpart iii, 2.B.1.c.

II.iii.3.B.3.e. Updating VA Systems for Claims When ADT or IADT Is the Only Service

When a Veteran with only ADT or IADT service submits a claim for compensation, enter the period(s) of ADT or IADT upon which the claim is based in VBMS as follows:
  • In the MILITARY BRANCH field, enter the actual reserve component such as Army Reserve or Air National Guard.
  • If the separation reason is not known or not indicated on the record of service, enter Unknown.
  • If the character of service is not known or not indicated in the record of service and the
    • evidence indicates the separation was an administrative separation, then follow the procedures at M21-1, Part X, Subpart iv, 1.B to determine the appropriate character of service entry, or
    • separation was not an administrative separation, then enter Unknown in the CHARACTER field.
  • Choose the appropriate type of service in the SERVICE TYPE field.
  • Mark the service as verified to ensure underlying components of VBMS function properly.
Important:
  • These procedures are only applicable to claimants for whom there is no period of active duty identified or verifiable.
  • Enter the first period of ADT if the claimant does not specify the period of service upon which the claim is based.
  • If VA grants SC for any of the issues claimed due to the ADT/IADT service, update the branch of service and service type as discussed in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g.
References: For more information on
  • updating service in VBMS, see
    • M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.a, and
    • the VBMS Core User Guide, and
  • what fields need to be updated to designate ADT or IADT as active service in VBMS, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g.

II.iii.3.B.3.f. Updating VA Systems for Active Service Based on Multiple Title 10 Activations of Seven Days or Less

Veterans may be activated multiple times under 10 U.S.C for periods of seven days or less during their career. VA systems may not have the capacity to accept entry of all individual periods of service. Claims processors are only required to enter the latest period of service that is seven days or less unless SC is granted based on
  • multiple periods of Title 10 service, or
  • a single period of Title 10 service in which the injury or death occurred.
When multiple periods of Title 10 service are utilized to establish SC for a disability or death, the rating activity will
  • annotate the rating decisions to reflect the timespan of the periods of Title 10 service upon which the grant of SC for disability or death is based, and
  • update only the initial period of Title 10 service (normally, the period of initial military training) as active service in VA systems.
References: For more information on
  • updating service in VBMS, see
    • M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.a, and
    • the VBMS Core User Guide, and
  • what fields need to be updated to designate ADT or IADT as active service in VBMS, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.g.

II.iii.3.B.3.g. Updating VBMS When a Period of ADT or IADT Is Determined to Be Active Service

After a period of ADT or IADT is found to be active service, the service type must be updated to active duty – despite not meeting the legal definition of active duty - for the purposes of system functionality.Change the
  • MILITARY BRANCH field from the reserve component to its parent branch of the Armed Forces, and
  • the SERVICE TYPE field from ADT/IADT to Active Duty.
Reference: For more information on updating service in VBMS, see
  • M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.3.a, and
  • the VBMS Core User Guide.



4. Evidence Required to Change or Correct Existing Vital Information About a Beneficiary


Introduction

This topic contains information about changing or correcting existing vital information about a beneficiary, including

  • evidence requirement to change or correct existing vital information about a beneficiary, and
  • types of acceptable evidence for vital information changes.

Change Date

September 25, 2024

II.iii.3.B.4.a. Evidence Requirement to Change or Correct Existing Vital Information About a Beneficiary

VA requires documentation to update vital information about a beneficiary that currently exists in VA records. Vital information with special evidentiary requirements includes:
  • name
  • date of birth (DOB), and
  • Social Security number (SSN).
Exceptions:
  • VA does not require special evidence to correct clerical mistakes made while entering information about a beneficiary in VA systems or records.
  • Fix clerical mistakes upon identification of the error unless the file number or SSN require correction.
  • Submit a YourIT trouble ticket to request correction of a file number or SSN not involving a duplicate record.
Note: A “beneficiary,” for the purpose of this block, is limited to the following individuals who are in receipt of VA benefits:
  • Veteran
  • surviving spouse
  • surviving parent, and
  • surviving child (who is entitled to benefits in their own right).
References: For more information on

II.iii.3.B.4.b. Types of Acceptable Evidence for Vital Information Changes

The table below contains a description of the evidence required to change or correct the vital information about a beneficiary identified in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.4.a.
Vital Information to ModifyEvidence Required
name
  • A signed decree from a judge or court showing a legal name change has taken place, or
  • Social Security card that reflects the beneficiary’s new name.
Exceptions: The documentary evidence described in this row is not required if a beneficiary’s last name changes because of
  • a marriage that VA recognizes as valid, or
  • divorce or annulment, when
    • the beneficiary, fiduciary, or their appointed VSO/agent/attorney, notifies VA of the termination of marriage due to divorce or annulment, and
    • VA can accept the notification as proof of termination of the marriage.
Important: For any beneficiary assigned a spouse fiduciary do not change the beneficiary’s name. In these situations, a beneficiary name change request is to be sent as described in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 3.B.1.c.
DOB
  • Birth certificate, or
  • verification of DOB through Federal Online Query (FOLQ) using the SSA INQUIRY function in VBMS.
SSNAt least one of the following documents:
  • Social Security card
  • current pay stub showing the beneficiary’s SSN
  • Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement
  • Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, or
  • verification of SSN through the SSA INQUIRY function in VBMS.
References: For more information on



5. Reviewing and Updating the Veteran’s Cause of Death


Introduction

This topic contains information on reviewing and updating the Veteran’s cause of death within VBMS, including
  • necessity for tracking immediate, underlying, and contributory causes of death
  • populated cause of death information in VBMS, and
  • viewing and updating cause of death information in VBMS.

Change Date

September 22, 2025

II.iii.3.B.5.a. Necessity for Tracking Immediate, Underlying, and Contributory Causes of Death

Public Law 117-168, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 requires that, whenever a law, including through a regulation or Federal court decision or settlement, establishes or modifies a presumption of SC, VA must
  • identify all claims for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation that were
    • submitted to VA
    • evaluated and denied by VA before the date on which such provision of law went into effect, and
    • might have been evaluated differently had the establishment or modification been applicable to the claim, and
    • notify relevant claimants that they may request reevaluation of a claim to consider the establishment or modification of a presumption of SC.

II.iii.3.B.5.b. Populated Cause of Death Information in VBMS

When a death certificate is received, automated extraction of information may occur during mail intake and populate cause(s) of death into the VETERAN PROFILE screen.The IMMEDIATE CAUSE of death, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH, and SIGNIFICANT CONDITION(S) CONTRIBUTING TO DEATH fields may be populated by automation and the fields are amendable by the claims processor.Example: The image below provides an example of information that may be extracted from a death certificate.Note: Automated extraction will only occur from a death certificate and not from any other report of death as listed under 38 CFR 3.211.

II.iii.3.B.5.c. Viewing and Updating Cause of Death Information in VBMS

The Veteran’s cause of death information is found in the VETERAN PROFILE screen and is displayed in the PRIMARY AND CONTRIBUTORY CAUSE(S) OF DEATH field.Some fields may be pre-populated with cause of death information, but the claims processor can amend each field and/or add new cause of death information.The authorization activity must ensure this field accurately reflects the Veteran’s cause(s) of death as they are listed on the most recent version of the report of death utilized under 38 CFR 3.211. This is required on all claims for survivor benefits.Notes:
  • The authorization activity should not rely on the information within these fields when making award determinations. The report of death document must be reviewed to ensure the most accurate information is being utilized.
  • Do not abbreviate the cause of death unless abbreviating is necessary to fit the cause of death within the VBMS field.
  • The authorization activity must review all evidence of record which may require requesting the scanning of a paper claims folder held by a Federal records center if the folder was retired after the Veteran’s death. If after the review is complete, it is determined that cause of death information is not of record, add a VBMS note stating, All evidence of record was reviewed and there is no documentation of the Veteran’s cause of death.
Important: If an amended death certificate is received after an initial death certificate is of record, automation will not overwrite what is populated in each field.Reference: For more information on transferring a paper claims folder, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 3.2.

Source: VA M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 3, Section B (U.S. government work, reproduced for reference). Browse all sections →