How to Get Information on the Status of a VA Claim

By Terry Smith

If you have a claim with the Veterans Administration (VA), you may wait months or even years to hear back from them. The VA is a large government bureaucracy that is slow even in the best of times, but in recent years they've been overwhelmed by claimants from veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, causing further delays in settling claims.

You can get regular status updates if you desire. The best and easiest way to do that is to call the VA customer service line at 1-800-827-1000.

You'll almost certainly be on the line for at least a few minutes before they finally answer, so while you wait, use the time to review the facts of your case and ensure you know what questions you want to ask.

Have your case reference number (or social security number) ready so that when they answer, they can give you your status quickly.

While you're on the line with them, use the call to get status on medical and education benefits as well as any other matter on which you're dealing with the VA.

Whatever happens, you'll need to be patient. The status you're most likely to receive is that it's "in process," the VA's way of saying that they're still working on it. Eventually, the VA gets around to processing all claims; sometimes, it just takes a while.

If you're not inclined to wait on hold, or you can't get through in a timely fashion, go to the VA website, at www.va.gov.

Inquire as to the status of a claim using the "Contact VA" button on the upper right part of the screen. They'll get back to you, but it may take a few days.

Make sure to include your case reference number.

Engage an individual or organization, such as Disabled American Veterans (DAV), to represent you. Having a representative for claims is a good idea, as the DAV and other organizations are very familiar with how the VA works

Have your representative attend hearings with you. If your VA Regional Office and Insurance Center, the center with which you originally filed your claim, is too far away for you to conveniently attend the hearings yourself, have your representative attend for you.

Contact your representative for a status update if you were unable to attend the hearings.

Send a letter requesting status to your VA Regional Office and Insurance Center with which you originally filed your claim. You can find the address at the VA's Web site.

Keep a copy of the letter to document your inquiry.

Mail the letter using the post office's "return receipt requested" certified-mail system.

When you get the return receipt, file it with the copy you kept of the letter to document that it was received. Responses to these letters can sometimes take months, but if you're looking to ensure you have a hard-copy record of your inquiry, this is the way to go.

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