What to Bring to Appointments

Setting Up Appointments

The more prepared you are, the more efficient your appointment can be.

Information needed to set up an appointment:

• Veterans Name
• Phone number
• Reason for the visit (i.e. initial claim, appealing a claim, medical benefits, widow benefits or tax exemptions)

Information and documentation that you will need to bring to your appointment:

• Are you new to the office? If so, please fill out the Veterans Department Interview Sheet form (PDF) and bring to your appointment for us.
• If you are a returning veteran, let us know so we can have your original file ready for your appointment.
• Original or certified copies of theses documents:
• Discharge papers, DD 214 or equivalent (documents prior to the DD214 change)

Dates and information of the veteran and any dependents:

• Full legal names or any other names used
• Date of birth (DOB) and place of birth (POB)
• Social security number (SSN)
• Dates of entry and separation of service (DOE and DOS)
• Your rank and type of discharge
• Marital status with maiden names, previous marriages/dates/places from both the spouse and the veteran
• If divorced, places, dates and how they were resolved from both spouse and veteran
• Dependents' SSN, DOB, POB; if they are 18 years of age and if they are attending college

Widow Benefits: Copies of the death certificate, marriage license/certificate/s, and discharge documentation. If remarried, how the prior marriage ended, and original documentation of marriage to the veteran.

Bank account information: If you are filing for any benefits that will result in monetary gain, we will need your account and type (a voided check will suffice).

Annual Income: Some benefits require both the veteran's and spouse's annual income and from the previous tax year.

Property Tax Exemption: Verifying that you are a veteran (DD 214 or equivalent, 40 % disabled, either 40% disabled through the VA or from a written statement from a civilian doctor), and any other documentation that the tax assessor's officer might need (this could change annually).

Compensation and Pension: If you were injured in the service and plan to file a claim, do have copies of your active duty medical records? If so bring them! Have you been treated at a VA medical center since you have been discharged? We will need that facilities' records or any private civilian doctor's name and contact information. You can fill out papers to request copies to be sent to the VA.

Rating letters or other VA documents: If you are needing explanation of documents received, sometimes this can be answered over the telephone and an office visit isn't required. If you wish to come in, please bring in copies of the original claim that initiated the correspondence from the VA. This will help us be able to help you understand reasoning for their decisions (usually if your claim was started from our office, we will have a copy).

Transportation

For transportation to Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, contact DAV transportation at 503-721-7804. They require 4 business days in advance to arrange transportation.