VA’s Partial Claim Program is open, but that does not mean every mortgage servicer had to offer it on June 15. VA says it began accepting Partial Claim trial-plan events on June 15, 2026. Servicers received 180 days from the June 1 final policy, and VA’s borrower page identifies November 28, 2026, as their implementation deadline. A borrower does not file a Partial Claim directly with VA: the mortgage servicer reviews the loan under VA’s ordered loss-mitigation process, and an eligible borrower must successfully complete a three-month Trial Payment Plan. If a servicer says it is not ready, ask what VA options it can evaluate now and contact VA Loan Guaranty Service rather than waiting while the loan falls further behind.
Is the VA Partial Claim Program actually open?
Yes. VA formally launched the program and became ready to accept a Partial Claim TPP event from servicers on June 15, 2026. VA’s current foreclosure-help page says the program is open for submissions.
That is an operational statement about VA. It is not proof that every mortgage servicer completed its software, staff training and procedures on launch day. VA’s Aug. 26 servicer FAQ expressly recognizes that implementation takes time.
Then why might my mortgage servicer say it isn’t available?
VA published final policy on June 1 and gave servicers 180 days to implement it. The agency also says the new Loss Mitigation Waterfall and Partial Claim Program must be implemented together. A servicer cannot simply add one Partial Claim transaction while continuing to use an incompatible loss-mitigation sequence.
Before Nov. 28, a servicer’s statement that it has not finished implementation may therefore be consistent with VA’s transition window. That does not establish misconduct—and it does not answer what help is available for the loan today.
From law to servicer deadline
- Congress’s VA Home Loan Program Reform Act became law.
- Final M26-4 loss-mitigation and Partial Claim policy took effect.
- VA launched the program and began accepting TPP events.
- VA issued a servicing circular for loans with an existing Partial Claim interest—not an eligibility expansion.
- Current VA deadline for servicers to add Partial Claims to their systems.
What does the November 28, 2026 deadline actually mean?
It is a servicer implementation deadline. It is not the last day a Veteran can ask to be evaluated, and it is not a borrower application deadline. Likewise, June 15 was VA’s launch and submission-readiness date—not the date every servicer was required to offer the program.
Do not treat the implementation window as permission to wait. Delinquency can grow, notices can carry deadlines and foreclosure timelines can continue to matter. Ask the servicer about current options now.
Do I apply for a VA Partial Claim myself?
No standalone self-filed VA application is identified in current guidance. VA says: work with your mortgage servicer to begin. The servicer asks the Waterfall questions, evaluates the current loan facts, offers the option the process directs to and reports events to VA. VA reviews the submitted Partial Claim event; the servicer’s initial conclusion is preliminary.
A VA loan technician can help discuss options or a difficult servicer interaction, but calling VA does not replace working with the servicer. VA says it automatically assigns a technician when a VA-guaranteed loan is 61 days past due, and a borrower may contact VA sooner.
How does a VA Partial Claim work?
The “claim” is VA’s purchase of part of the indebtedness needed to resolve the default. It is not a disability claim, a check sent to the Veteran or a self-selected mortgage product.
- Borrower falls behindContact the mortgage servicer.
- Servicer uses VA’s WaterfallThe ordered review considers the available retention options.
- Current criteria direct to Partial ClaimAvailability alone is not eligibility.
- Three-month Trial Payment PlanMake the written trial payments on time.
- Attestation and successful trialReturn the signed repayment acknowledgment before the final trial payment is due.
- Servicer advances reinstatement amountThe main mortgage is brought current.
- VA reimburses the servicerA separate deferred Partial Claim balance is created.
Who may qualify?
The statute authorizes Partial Claims on a VA-guaranteed loan for a primary residence in default or at imminent risk of default. Final M26-4 policy currently sets more specific operational criteria. Among them, the loan must be at least three full months past due when the servicer submits the TPP event; the borrower must occupy the property as a primary residence, generally for most of the year; and the reinstatement amount must remain within the applicable cap.
Current final criteria also require at least 12 monthly payments since origination, no loan modification in the preceding 24 months, no active bankruptcy, ownership of record, timely signatures on the attestation and no notice of another pending or active lienholder or homeowners-association foreclosure. Deployment, hospitalization, long-term care, divorce, bankruptcy history, surviving spouses and successors can involve specific exceptions or assumption rules. Ask the servicer or VA about the actual loan rather than applying this summary as a personal eligibility decision.
The servicer must continue through the Waterfall if the Partial Claim criteria are not met. VA—not this article—makes the program determination.
Why do I have to make three trial payments first?
The TPP tests whether the borrower has overcome the reason for default and can resume the required mortgage payment. Current Chapter 5 generally requires three consecutive monthly trial payments. For a Partial Claim, the written trial amount includes the applicable current principal-and-interest payment and taxes and insurance when required by the account structure.
The servicer must send the written TPP terms and Partial Claim Attestation after the accepted or review-required event. The borrower must return the signed attestation before the third and final TPP payment’s due date. Missing a complete trial payment, failing to replace a returned payment or not returning the attestation on time can make the trial unsuccessful and trigger another Waterfall review where required.
How much can VA put into a Partial Claim?
The ordinary statutory maximum is up to 25% of the unpaid principal balance when the Partial Claim is made. It is a cap, not an automatic payment.
If a $200,000 unpaid principal balance were used, 25% would be $50,000. The actual transaction would still be the qualifying amount needed to reinstate the mortgage, subject to every other rule—not a $50,000 entitlement.
Current law and final policy allow a special maximum of up to 30% when the past-due amount includes a payment missed from March 1, 2020, through May 1, 2025. On the same $200,000 example, the cap would be $60,000 only if that precise condition applies. A COVID-era hardship does not automatically produce the maximum, and 30% is not the normal cap for everyone.
VA’s servicer FAQ also says a borrower cannot make a special delinquency “buy-down” as part of the Partial Claim transaction merely to squeeze an excessive reinstatement amount under the percentage limit.
Is the Partial Claim free money or debt?
It is debt. The servicer advances the amount that final policy permits to bring the main mortgage current, and VA reimburses the servicer after review. The Veteran does not receive the arrears as cash. It is not a grant, forgiveness or free money.
The required attestation says accepting the assistance is voluntary and creates personal repayment liability to the United States. It also warns that a Partial Claim may affect a future Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan or certain later loss-mitigation options. Read that document and ask VA questions before signing.
Does the Partial Claim charge interest or require monthly payments?
Final M26-4 Chapter 22 requires the Partial Claim balance itself to be non-interest-bearing. The servicer cannot charge the borrower interest on it or require monthly or periodic Partial Claim payments. Voluntary payments are allowed without a penalty.
That rule applies to the deferred Partial Claim balance—not the original mortgage. The main mortgage continues, with its normal scheduled payment, after the servicer’s advance brings it current.
| Feature | Main mortgage | Partial Claim balance |
|---|---|---|
| Interest | Existing loan terms continue unless another transaction changes them. | No borrower interest under current final policy. |
| Monthly payment | Scheduled mortgage payments resume. | No required periodic payment. |
| Voluntary payment | Normal loan terms apply. | Allowed without penalty. |
| Payoff | Due under the note and payoff terms. | Due at the earliest final-policy repayment trigger. |
When do I have to repay the Partial Claim?
Current final policy makes the outstanding balance due at the earliest of three events: when the VA-guaranteed loan matures, when it terminates, or when the portion of the guaranteed indebtedness VA did not purchase is paid off. A sale or refinance ordinarily requires paying off or terminating the main loan, which is why VA’s borrower page summarizes repayment as due when the loan is paid off or the home is sold.
At maturity, VA tells servicers to contact the agency about potential options if a borrower cannot pay the deferred balance as a lump sum. That is not forgiveness or a promise of a particular extension.
What if I already received a COVID-era VA Partial Claim?
Final M26-4 says a loan does not qualify if VA previously paid a Partial Claim under the new statute, a COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment or a COVID-19 Refund Modification on that same loan. This does not mean everyone who had COVID forbearance is barred; the question is whether VA paid one of those identified forms of assistance.
The statute generally permits one Partial Claim per loan. It contains a narrow exception involving a payment missed during a presidentially declared major disaster or the following 180 days. The exception does not erase the current operational criteria or guarantee a second Partial Claim.
What if my servicer hasn’t implemented the program yet?
If the issue remains unresolved, call VA Loan Guaranty Service at 877-827-3702 and select option 6 for trouble resolving an issue with the servicer. Current VA hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern; TTY is 711. VA also offers its Loan Guaranty support portal. The Veteran Resources directory keeps broader official starting points together.
Can my servicer foreclose while I’m asking about a Partial Claim?
Do not assume an inquiry stops foreclosure. Current final M26-4 says the servicer must cease initiating, continuing or completing foreclosure when a qualifying Partial Claim TPP is offered. That exact trigger is materially different from asking a question, leaving a voicemail, reading this article or waiting for Nov. 28.
Other servicing-law protections can depend on timing, completeness of a loss-mitigation application, loan status and applicable law. This article cannot determine whether a particular foreclosure is paused. Continue reading every notice and meet every stated deadline unless the responsible servicer, VA or qualified legal adviser confirms otherwise.
What other VA foreclosure-avoidance options exist?
Partial Claim is Step 5 in VA’s current home-retention sequence, not an automatic first or best option. The Waterfall begins with special forbearance and repayment-plan review, then considers a traditional VA modification and a 30-year modification. If Partial Claim criteria are not met, the sequence can proceed to a 40-year modification. Private sale, short sale and deed in lieu are separate home-disposition alternatives.
The servicer and VA technician should evaluate the current loan facts. This article does not recommend one option for an individual borrower.
Is the new Partial Claim the same as VASP?
No. VA stopped accepting new Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase, or VASP, submissions on May 1, 2025. VASP used a different loan-purchase and modification structure. The new Partial Claim is a statutory program under 38 U.S.C. § 3737 in which VA purchases a portion of the indebtedness while the original guaranteed mortgage is brought current.
“VASP is back” is therefore inaccurate shorthand. Both programs addressed foreclosure prevention, but they are not the same legal or servicing tool.
What if foreclosure is already close?
Watch for foreclosure-relief scams
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns about third parties that demand upfront fees, tell borrowers to stop paying, redirect mortgage payments, request a deed transfer, push incomprehensible documents or guarantee that foreclosure will stop. A legitimate VA Partial Claim begins through the mortgage servicer and VA support—not an unsolicited company demanding money or account credentials.
Verify unexpected VA-looking messages independently. Our phishing, deepfake and fake-website guide explains how to set aside a message’s phone number or link and reach the agency through a trusted channel.
What changes after November 28?
After Nov. 28, recheck VA’s current borrower page, servicer FAQ and M26-4 because policy and implementation language can change. If a servicer still says the program is categorically unavailable, ask VA Loan Guaranty Service to review the situation. The passed implementation date would not mean every borrower qualifies or must receive a Partial Claim.
Bottom line
VA opened the Partial Claim Program June 15, while giving servicers through Nov. 28 to implement it with the new Waterfall. That explains how VA and a not-yet-ready servicer can both be describing the current rollout accurately. But a borrower who is behind should act now: contact the servicer, ask which current VA options are available, document the answers and bring unresolved issues to VA Loan Guaranty Service. A Partial Claim can bring an eligible mortgage current after a successful trial, but it creates deferred debt—it is not cash, forgiveness or guaranteed foreclosure protection merely because someone asked about it.
About this update: The CSRA Women Veterans Resource Guide is an independent informational publisher, not the Department of Veterans Affairs or another government agency. This article does not determine eligibility or replace instructions from the responsible official source.
Questions or corrections? Contact us.
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