Claim Review Process

Once you submit a disability claim to the VA it will go through a review process which consists of the following steps. Once you submit your claim you can check the status regularly to see each step of the process.

Step 1: Claim received
They received your claim in our system. See examples of claims.

Step 2: Initial review
They’re checking your claim for basic information such as name and Social Security number. If information is missing, you will be contacted.

Step 3: Evidence gathering
This is where they check to make sure they have all the information to decide your claim.  This includes requesting any missing evidence from you or your doctor and arranging for you to take a C&P exam.  You can submit additional evidence at this step.

Step 4: Evidence review
This step is where all of the evidence is reviewed to decide your claim. This is usually done by a Reviewing Officer (RO).

Step 5: Rating
Your claim is decided, and a disability rating is assigned to it. 

Step 6: Preparing decision letter
A decision letter is prepared to be mailed out to you.  If you’re eligible for disability benefits, this letter will include your disability rating, the amount of your monthly payments, and the date your payments will start.  See an example of a Decision Letter.

Step 7: Final Review
Your case gets a final review by a senior reviewer.

Step 8: Claim Decided
At this final stage you get a Decision Letter notification via mail and the Benefits Dashboard. 

In addition to the Decision Letter, the VA also make these documents available to you:

–Disability Benefits Verification Letter
[use this to verify your disability rating with local governments for tax exemptions]

–Civil Service Preference Letter
[use this to get hiring preference with the Federal and State governments.]

–Rating Code Sheet
[this document shows the codes that were used to assess your claims. Use it to verify that your claims were assessed under the correct type of disabilities. You will have to request it from the VA using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.]