WASHINGTON, DC – Participation in the joint Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) eBenefits Web site topped five million users this week, two months ahead of schedule. 

VA established an agency priority goal of reaching five million eBenefits users by the end of fiscal year 2015.

VA achieved this early milestone through aggressive outreach efforts and with the support of DoD and its Veterans Service Organization partners.

“Veterans are encouraged to enroll in eBenefits and file their claims online through this one-stop shop for benefits-related tools and information,” said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey. “We have already implemented nearly 60 self-service features and we continue to expand eBenefits capabilities to give veterans and servicemembers greater flexibility in securing their information.”

The number of eBenefits users is a key measure of VA’s success in improving veterans’ access to VA benefits and services and is reported on www.performance.gov .  

To enroll in eBenefits, veterans and servicemembers must obtain a DoD Self-Service Logon (DS Logon), which provides access to several veterans and military benefits resources using a single username and password. 

The service is free and may be obtained online at www.ebenefits.va.gov or in person at a VA Regional Office.

“The successful collaboration of eBenefits and DS Logon is just one more example of how the DoD and VA are working together to continue bringing current and former Servicemembers secure online access to the benefits they've earned,” said Mary Dixon, director of Defense Manpower Data Center.

The rapid and continued growth in the utilization of the eBenefits Web site demonstrates the importance of giving veterans greater access to information about their own benefits.

In addition to filing claims online and checking the status of those claims, veterans can also message their VA doctor, order prescription drug refills and obtain official military documents through eBenefits.

More than 7.5 million VA letters have been generated and downloaded by veterans that show proof of disability, income or veterans preference used in federal or state government hiring.

For more information about VA benefits, go to http://www.benefits.va.gov .