VA Form 21P-0516-1
Improved Pension Eligibility Verification Report - Veteran Without Dependent Children
VA sent you this annual EVR as a veteran pension recipient without dependent children on your award.
- Who fills it
- veteran
- Journey phase
- Keeping Your Award Current
- Estimated time
- 20-30 minutes.
- When to file
- By the deadline printed on the form.
Official VA form page: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/
Gather before you start
- ▸Current income from all sources (SSA, pension, interest, dividends, any wages)
- ▸Current net worth (bank accounts, investments, real estate excluding primary home)
- ▸Any changes to marital status, address, or dependent status
- ▸Medical expenses if claiming deductions
Attach with the form
- ▸Income documentation if amounts changed since last EVR
- ▸21P-8416 Medical Expense Report if claiming deductions
Section I - Veteran Identification (pre-printed)
Blocks 1-5Name, SSN, VA File Number, address (pre-printed)PII
Pre-printed by VA. Verify each field is correct and correct any errors. Address changes are critical - update immediately so future mail reaches you.
(pre-printed; verify)
Common mistakes
- ×Not correcting an out-of-date address - pension mail will go to a wrong address.
Section II - Current Annual Income
Blocks 6-20All income from all sources for the current year
Report every income source for you and your spouse (if on claim): Social Security, pension, wages, interest, dividends, rental income, annuities, trust income. Do not include VA benefits. If nothing has changed from last year, confirm the prior amounts are still accurate.
e.g., SSA retirement: $16,800/yr; Mil retirement: $9,600/yr; Bank interest: $360/yr
Common mistakes
- ×Not reporting SSA COLA increase from January - every COLA is a reportable income change.
- ×Forgetting to report a new source (inheritance interest, new part-time work).
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
Section III - Current Net Worth
Blocks 21-30All assets except primary home and vehicle
Report current balances for checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and any other assets. Current market value of investments, not original cost basis.
e.g., Checking: $4,200; Savings: $22,000; IRA: $45,000; Total: $71,200
Common mistakes
- ×Using original IRA purchase price instead of current market value.
- ×Omitting a CD that recently matured and is now in savings.
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
Section IV - Certification
Blocks 31-32Veteran signature and datePII
Sign and return by the deadline. Missing the deadline suspends your pension.
(signature/date)
Common mistakes
- ×Missing the deadline - contact VA immediately and explain if you cannot respond in time.
Statutory and regulatory authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
- 38 CFR 3.500 - When VA reduces or discontinues benefits.
- 38 USC 1521 - Wartime non-service-connected pension for low-income veterans.