Are you a veteran with a service-connected disability? Are you planning on making a claim or filing an appeal with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)? You may know what to do and you may know how to do it — but do you know the when? To help make sure you file your claims and appeals on time, we have created a list of key deadlines and timelines in the VA claims and appeals process at QRF Legal Services in Lakeland, VA.
How Long Does a VA Disability Claim Take?
Many veterans who file a disability claim want to know — how long does a VA disability claim take to be approved? When will they find out if they qualify for benefits? The average time for a disability claim to be approved in December 2024 was 140.8 days. The time it takes for your claim to be approved can depend on multiple factors:
- What type of claim did you file?
- How many injuries, illnesses, or medical conditions are included in your claim and how complex are they?
- How long will it take to collect medical evidence to validate a disability claim?
Timeline for VA Disability Claims
Like we mentioned above — each disability claim may take a different amount of time to be processed and approved — but here is a general timeline for when you file your claim. This will provide you with a general understanding of what to expect and when to expect it. If you have any questions along the way, feel free to reach out to the QRF Legal Services Team for more information.
- File your claim and you will receive a confirmation letter from the VA in about 1 – 2 weeks.
- Initial review of your disability claim takes 12 – 14 days and determines what evidence is needed.
- VA representatives will collect medical evidence and order Compensation and Pension Exams (C&P) when needed and this can take 2 – 4 weeks.
- When all necessary medical evidence is collected and exams have been taken, VA representatives will review the evidence and this can take 7 – 14 days.
- After the evidence has been reviewed, your disability claim will be sent to a Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR) for additional review and documentation of their decision. This generally takes 7 – 14 days.
- VA representatives will review the documentation provided by the RVSR and decide if your claim is approved or denied and this part of the process takes an estimated 7 – 14 days to complete.
- The decision for your disability claim is then forwarded to a Senior Veterans Service Representative (SVSR) who will review the documentation and authorize your disability claim with a rating. This part of the process takes an estimated 7 – 14 days.
- You will receive notification of your disability claim in the mail with a disability rating in 7 – 10 days.
Timeline for VA Disability Claims Appeals
Has your VA disability claim been denied? VA disability claims can be denied for a variety of reasons — incomplete claim information, missed deadlines, insufficient medical evidence, a pre-existing condition, or a dishonorable discharge. With the help of QRF Legal Services, you can appeal your denied claim — but how long does that process take and what deadlines do you have?
When you choose to appeal your denied claim, you have multiple options. You can file a supplemental claim, request a higher-level review, or file for a board appeal. The amount of time the appeal process takes will depend on what type of appeal you file — but the average time it takes to complete an appeal is 12 – 18 months.
Here are a few key deadlines and timelines that you need to understand when you file an appeal:
- You have 1 year to file an appeal of your denied claim after you receive the notification of your denied claim.
- When you file a Notice of Disagreement for your denied claim, you will receive a response from the VA within 60 days.
- You have 120 days to appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals after you have appealed the statement for your case.
- You can expect a Supplemental Claim to take an average of 4 – 5 months with a supplemental claim lane that makes it possible to receive a decision in 125 days.
- Higher-Level Reviews of denied claims are expected to take 4 – 5 months.
- Board Appeals of your denied claim take an average of 1 year.
READ MORE: Learn About Social Security Disability Benefits
Do you have questions about the VA disability claims and appeals processes? Do you question how long it will take? We may be able to help with this overview of key deadlines and timelines in the VA claims and appeals process. Contact QRF Legal Services today for help with your disability claim.
