Behind on a VA Mortgage: The New Partial-Claim Option and the November 28 Servicer Deadline

Behind on a VA Mortgage: The New Partial-Claim Option and the November 28 Servicer Deadline

VA can now buy your missed payments – here is how the program actually works.

The VA partial claim is simple in principle: VA pays your servicer the amount you owe in missed payments, brings your loan current, and you pay VA back later – when you sell the home or pay off the loan. No monthly bill to VA in the meantime.

That's it. VA steps in, clears the debt that put you behind, and you keep making your regular mortgage payment going forward.

The partial claim is not a grant, not forgiveness, not a miracle. It's a deferred debt – you owe it, just not right now. But it can stop a foreclosure and let you stay in the home. That matters.

How the Partial Claim Works

Your servicer works with VA to calculate the amount needed to bring your loan current. VA pays that amount to the servicer. Your loan is now current. You now owe VA that same amount as a separate, non-interest-bearing debt – repaid in full when you sell the home or pay off the mortgage.

According to reporting by HousingWire, the program can cover up to 25% of the unpaid principal balance and requires no monthly payment. VA's official materials describe the program mechanics; those specific figures come from trade reporting, not VA's own published language.

The partial claim does not change your interest rate or extend your loan term on its own. It clears the past-due balance and nothing more.

The 3-Month Trial: What You Have to Do First

You cannot request a partial claim directly. Before VA approves one, you must complete a trial payment plan – three consecutive months of on-time payments at your regular mortgage amount.

Three months. On time. Every one. VA requires this to confirm that a partial claim will actually solve the problem, not just delay it.

The trial is proof of concept. If you can make three payments, you've shown the mortgage is manageable – the missed payments were the problem, not the ongoing payment itself. That's the logic VA is working from.

Your servicer sets up the trial payment plan. You pay. After three successful months, the servicer submits the partial claim to VA.

What November 28, 2026 Actually Means

November 28, 2026 is a servicer deadline, not a borrower deadline.

VA's final partial claim policy took effect June 1, 2026. Servicers have 180 days from that date – until November 28, 2026 – to build the program into their systems. VA has been accepting trial-payment-plan events for partial claims since June 15, 2026.

Do not read November 28 as "apply by November 28." That framing is wrong. The deadline belongs to servicers, not to you.

What it does mean: if your servicer hasn't set up the partial claim in their system yet, they're working toward that November 28 date. Call your servicer now. Ask whether they're offering partial claims. If they say no, ask when.

One Restriction: Prior COVID Partial Claims

If your loan already received a COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment or a Refund Modification during the pandemic era, it cannot receive another partial claim on the same guaranteed loan. This restriction appears directly in VA's servicer guidance.

One partial claim per loan. If you used the COVID-era version, the new partial claim is not available on that same loan.

Other Options VA Offers

The partial claim sits inside what VA calls a loss-mitigation waterfall – a sequence of options, not a menu you pick from freely. VA lists these on its housing assistance page:

• Special forbearance – a temporary pause or reduction in payments while you stabilize your finances
• Repayment plan – you catch up on missed payments gradually, added on top of your regular payment
• Loan modification – your loan terms change to lower the payment; VA offers traditional, 30-year, and 40-year modification options

The partial claim comes after other options in the waterfall. Your servicer works through the sequence with you. You don't pick the partial claim as a standalone request; VA's process surfaces it based on your situation.

How to Get Started – and How to Avoid Getting Scammed

Call your servicer first. The number is on your mortgage statement. Tell them you're behind – or at risk of falling behind – and ask about loss-mitigation options. That call starts the process.

VA loan technicians are there to help. If your VA-guaranteed loan is 61 or more days past due, VA automatically assigns a loan technician to your file. You can reach VA loan technicians Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. They review your loan situation and can walk you through your options.

Avoid third-party companies charging for help. VA warns veterans about this directly. Any company that promises to get you a loan modification, partial claim, or foreclosure rescue for a fee is a red flag. The help is free through your servicer and VA. You do not need to pay anyone to access it.

Veteran Tools is independent and not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Nothing here is legal or medical advice.