Veterans · Identity
The identity cutoff already happened. The old passwords are dead.
My HealtheVet died in March 2025. DS Logon died in November. Recut sitrep on the only two keys left.
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Sign Up One Stop Shop · 2026-09-01
VA spent years telling people this was coming. Then it happened. You now have two sign-in options that meet federal identity standards: Login.gov (government) and ID.me (partner). Both require multifactor authentication and a one-time identity check.
Pick ID.me if you live outside the United States, your ID lists a PO Box, you lack an SSN, or your state ID is one of the edge cases VA lists in its own guide. Otherwise Login.gov is the clean default and it also opens TSP, milConnect, and other federal doors.
Why this is benefit-tech news, not IT trivia
Claims, health messages, travel pay, and the mobile app all sit behind that identity. The soldiers who delayed the switch did not lose their benefits — they lost the online door until they created a verified account. Phone, mail, and in-person still work. The app does not, until you finish proofing.
Protect the account like a CAC. Authenticator app, backup codes, no shared family email. Scammers love the chaos around a sign-in change. VA will not charge you to 'restore' access.
Written from VA.gov account guide. Always confirm on the official page before you enroll.