VA Form 21P-0571
Application for Exclusion of Children's Income from Computation of Pension
A child who is a dependent on your pension claim has their own income (part-time job, SSA survivors benefits, trust distributions) that is currently raising your household countable income and reducing your pension.
- Who fills it
- veteran
- Journey phase
- Keeping Your Award Current
- Estimated time
- 15-20 minutes.
- When to file
- Anytime you become aware that excluding a child's income would increase your pension. VA will recalculate retroactively to the date of the qualifying event.
Official VA form page: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/
Gather before you start
- ▸Child's full name, SSN, DOB
- ▸Type and amount of child's income
- ▸Documentation that the income is the child's own (employer letter, SSA award letter, trust statement)
Attach with the form
- ▸Documentation of child's income source and amount
Section I - Pension Recipient Identification
Blocks 1-3Pension recipient name, SSN, VA File NumberPII
Your information as the pension recipient (veteran or surviving spouse). Include VA File Number from your pension award letter so this request attaches to the correct file.
(legal name, SSN, VA pension file number)
Common mistakes
- ×Omitting VA File Number - exclusion request cannot be matched to the pension file.
Section II - Child's Income Information
Blocks 4-12Child name, SSN, income type, amount, and supporting documentationRepeatable
For each child whose income you want excluded: their full legal name, Social Security number, and complete description of all income including type (wages, SSA survivors, trust, other), monthly and annual amount, and who pays it (employer name, SSA, trustee). Attach documentation proving it is the child's income, not a household income.
e.g., Emily Smith, SSN: 234-56-7890; Part-time wages from Pizza Palace $450/mo = $5,400/yr; SSA survivors benefit $320/mo = $3,840/yr
Common mistakes
- ×Not documenting the source - VA needs to verify it is the child's income, not yours.
- ×Forgetting to apply annually - if the child continues earning, the exclusion should be maintained in each annual EVR.
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.3 - Eligibility criteria for veterans pension: wartime service, discharge character, income below MAPR, and net worth below threshold.
Section III - Certification
Blocks 13-14Pension recipient signature and datePII
Sign and date certifying the income amounts are accurate and belong to the dependent child(ren).
(signature/date)
Common mistakes
- ×Not requesting retroactive adjustment - if the child has had income for months before you file, ask VA to recalculate from the date the income began.
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.