Documents for the VA Must Be Sent to a Central Address - The Evidence Intake Center ("EIC")

This week I spoke with a Department of Veterans' Affairs ("VA") Regional Office ("RO") official who called to inform me of the VA's new method of processing correspondence from veterans and their representatives. She told me, "We like this probably even less than you do, but don't get me started. It doesn't make sense, and so far I think it's slowing things down, but that's the way things are for now and I thought you should know."

"The way things are" is that instead of receiving claims, evidence, Disability Benefits Questionnaires, appeals, etc., via post and fax and then processing them immediately, VA ROs in every state are collecting all correspondence sent to them and shipping it to the EIC, which is located in Wisconsin.

Unless claim-related correspondence is requested by a particular RO official and the veteran explicitly writes "Attention To" the requesting official on the correspondence, it will not be looked at by the VA other than for the purpose of shipping it to the EIC. Once the claim-related correspondence reaches the EIC, it is put in a queue to be scanned and uploaded to the VA database so that officials at the RO can begin, or continue, work on the cases to which they are assigned.

Why is the VA Collecting Veterans' Correspondence in a Central Location?

At first glance, the new method of processing correspondence seems almost silly, especially when added to a system already notorious for egregious delays and, as you’ve no doubt seen in the news recently, corruption. Veterans may ask, "Why can't VA employees do the scanning at the ROs where the correspondence is initially received?" or even, "With unemployment among veterans so high, why not hire veterans who live near ROs to do the scanning?" However, the EIC is part of  the VA's plan to become more efficient by "going paperless." It remains to be seen whether the plan will work.

In the meantime, make sure your claim-related correspondence is being sent to the EIC rather than directly to the RO handling your case. That is, unless it is being sent to a specific VA official with whom you or your representative has been in contact.

If you have any questions about this issue or need assistance with prevailing in your effort to secure VA disability benefits, please contact the office of Attorney Sean Kendall today.

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Evidence Also Can Be Submitted to the VA by Mail or by Fax

Evidence should be submitted by fax or mail to the following location: 

Department of Veterans' Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444

Phone Toll Free: (800) 827-1000 (TTY: 711)
Fax Toll Free: 844-531-7818 & 248-524-4260 (Utilized by Foreign Claimants)

Join The Conversation
Debra Robin Haas, Patient Advocate VA Hospital 10/10/2014 05:01 PM
The Fax number shows 844-531-7818. It will not go through. Please verify the number.
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Sean Kendall 10/10/2014 05:40 PM
The number is correct. However, the tollfree 844 number often seems not to work. If not, fax to the toll number 248-524-4260.
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Matthew Crist 11/25/2014 02:47 PM
As an attorney, this new EIC system is really irritating. My clients are already confused and angry about the incredible delays in their claims, now this EIC system will simply add more steps to the delay process. The address I have is Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Intake Center PO Box 5235 Newnan Georgia 30271-0020 That means the paperwork sent to this EIC gets stored at a PO Box location (an already slow process) and then that post gets piled up until someone picks it up for the EIC. Incredibly mind blowing. The fax number (844-531-7818) appears to be working. I have heard people say it doesn't work - it worked for me. Time will tell - but I am not optimistic.
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Sean Kendall 11/25/2014 03:14 PM
Matthew Christ - as an attorney, you have the option to sign up for the VA's new Stakeholders access portal. This system allows you to upload documents directly to the VA, and you can dispense with sending documents to the VA. The SEP system only requires that an attorney be accredited by VA, it does not require the ridiculous training required for Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) access. Sign up is accomplished through Norton Symantec, which is contracting with VA to verify the identity of attorneys. https://www.sep.va.gov/sep/web/guest/sep
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Kimberly Wright 12/16/2014 09:16 AM
I am a Veteran Service Officer with West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance in Welch WV. When we send a claim to the above fax number we do not receive confirmation. We have to send claims to our local regional office and they fax them to Newnan GA then send our office the confirmation. We need to know how to correct this problem. Please call 304-436-4846 or email me at the above email. Thank you for any help you can give.
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Kevin Hilton 01/15/2015 07:21 AM
I faxed my documents in July 2014 and it was signed for by a J. Sutton. Does anyone know of a phone number to the evidence intake center? If so, email me at [email protected], I really would appreciate it. Kevin
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Jennifer Horbelt 01/15/2015 12:36 PM
I have a claim, (long duration claim process, over 10 years) and in May of 2014 the VARO requested a few "documents - VA Forms, etc.." and in their letter requesting said documents to me, the "return address" was the St. Pete office. I filled out these VA documents an returned them to the EXACT address specified in the letter I received, returned to St. Pete, per the "VA's request", (with tracking) in the month of June 2014. By the end of July 2014 my claim was "DENIED", because the "VA DID NOT RECEIVE" the specified documents they had requested from me. And, what actually occurred was this...the "EIC" program did not go into effect until August of 2014, but someone at the VARO in St. Pete, forwarded my paperwork to the EIC, on June 25th, 2014, so, I was erroneously denied. And even though my local "Congressman's Office" has proven their admin error and my claim is supposedly "re-opened", had this NEW PROGRAM been functional or effective, I would NOT be in limbo and continually hearing that my case is in "development phase and should only last about 8 months", which Congressman Miller's Liaison has had my file/case for 16 months. So, again VA math does NOT equate. And this "EIC" is NOT WORKING !!!!!!!!!!!
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Richard L Whitten Last 4-0430 03/07/2015 09:33 AM
I issued an appeal on VA decision to cut my benefits from prostate cancer. I was in Vietnam in 1969. I put this appeal in on June 20, 2014 and was told it could take up to 246 days to process. It is now 247 days and I know they are busy. Would hope they would communicate as to the status of the appeal.
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Jenny Johnson 06/02/2015 07:44 AM
Another number to call the VA where someone actually answers, even if the wait is usually 3 - 7 minutes, is 1-877-294-6380.
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Keith E Holtsclaw 06/11/2018 10:03 PM
I filed for a disability that I had while on active duty,at vicenza Italy, on my right ankle , the doctor that examined me at the military hospital did take X-rays and decided to put it in a cast but told me he didnt think it was broken but I have had pain and weakness in that Ankle ever since, I was put on disability and light duty, this was in early spring 1961, I also filed for a back injury I sustained in ft. mc-coy training area. I was an E-6 gun chief and my gun truck bogged down in the sand before we could get our 155A1 Howitzer into our firing position, but were close enough to our firing positionthat we tried to uncouple from the truck and 4 of the section and tried to back it into the trees by hand, with no luck. we did get it turned to the direction of fire. our commander told us to lay it in the open, which we did because of this something popped on my lumbar spine. though I was in terrible pain,we got the howitzerr in time for the fire mission we received just after we had gotten it laid I made a big mistake and did not go on sick call, but we had a fire mission coming down, and in my early 40s I could take a lo of pain.I did get an orthopedic appointment at the KC VA hospital. without examining me The doctor told methat I would have spinal surgery,then be elvaluated for disabiliaty. I had a wife and two small children to support. I would have to tough it out until I couldnt take the pain any more. I was a cat mechanic in civilain life, but the company wouldnt allow me to draw my insurance, or collect sick pay
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