⚡ Financial Hardship Expedite Request Procedures
Standard Operating Procedure • Expedite Protocol • KM-HE-2026-002
Applies When: A Veteran reports financial hardship during a claim
status inquiry and the claim is in an active processing phase (Evidence Gathering,
Evidence Review, or Rating). PCR must assess eligibility and initiate expedite
request within the same interaction.
Eligibility Criteria for Hardship Expedite
The Veteran must meet at least one of the following criteria:
| Financial Hardship | Inability to pay for basic needs (housing, food, utilities, medical care) directly related to pending claim benefits. |
| Housing Risk | Active foreclosure proceedings, eviction notice, or homelessness. |
| Terminal Illness | Medical documentation of terminal diagnosis with life expectancy under 12 months. |
| Advanced Age (85+) | Veteran is age 85 or older at the time of the expedite request. |
| Other Qualifying Factors | ALS diagnosis, Medal of Honor recipient, former POW, or Veteran experiencing a personal crisis. |
Step 1 — Verify Claim Status and Existing Flags
Before initiating an expedite request, verify:
- Open the Customer Claim record in D365
- Confirm claim is in an active phase (not Closed or Notification)
- Check if a Hardship Flash is already on file — if yes, document additional context but do not re-submit
- Note the EP Code and Claim Phase for the form
Step 2 — Complete VA Form 21-0820 (Report of General Information)
The D365 form auto-populates key fields from the claim record. Review and complete:
| Veteran Name | Auto-populated from Contact record |
| Claim Number | Auto-populated from Customer Claim |
| EP Code | Auto-populated (e.g., EP 010 for original compensation) |
| Hardship Statement | PCR enters: Veteran's description of hardship in their own words |
| Monthly Income/Expenses | PCR enters: If shared by Veteran (not required) |
| Deadline/Urgency | PCR enters: Specific deadline (e.g., foreclosure date, eviction date) |
Quick Write Template (auto-generated):
“The Veteran reported experiencing extreme financial hardship due to [reason]. They request that their disability compensation claim [Claim Number], EP [EP Code], filed [Claim Date], be expedited. They were advised to submit supporting documentation. Please review to add a Hardship flash.”
“The Veteran reported experiencing extreme financial hardship due to [reason]. They request that their disability compensation claim [Claim Number], EP [EP Code], filed [Claim Date], be expedited. They were advised to submit supporting documentation. Please review to add a Hardship flash.”
Step 3 — Request Supporting Documentation
Supporting documentation strengthens the expedite request but is not required to initiate. Acceptable documents include:
- Foreclosure or eviction notice
- Utility disconnection notice
- Bank statements showing insufficient funds
- Medical bills or collection notices
- Signed hardship statement from the Veteran
SMS Upload Link: Use the Send Document Upload Link button
on the claim form to generate a secure, pre-authenticated upload URL. The Veteran
can upload documents directly from their phone without logging in again.
Step 4 — Set Flags and Submit
After completing the form:
- Set Hardship Flag = Yes on the Customer Claim
- Set Expedite Requested = Yes on the Customer Claim
- Set Escalation Reason = Financial Hardship
- Save and submit the VA Form 21-0820
- Confirm the Hardship Activity record was auto-created in the timeline
Expected Outcomes
- Hardship flash added to VBMS record within 24–48 hours
- Claim re-prioritized in processing queue
- Veteran receives confirmation SMS with case reference number
- Supervisor notified of hardship escalation via dashboard alert
| Article: KM-HE-2026-002 | Status: Published • v1.2.0 | Last Updated: 2026-03-15 |
| Related: KM-HC-2026-001 (Hardship NBA) • KM-CP-2025-001 (Claim Process) • Forms: VA Form 21-0820 • Views: 834 • Helpful: 97% | ||