Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Length of Time for a VA Disability Claim

By Kayla Lowe

Two types of disability are offered to disabled veterans of the United States military. One is compensation, the disability that is for veterans who have a service-connected disability. The other is a pension, the disability that is for veterans who have a nonservice-connected disability and a low income. The administration that processes disability claims and decides how much a veteran is awarded is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

VA Form 21-526, the Veterans Application for Compensation and/or Pension is the first step toward obtaining VA disability. It consists of a general information section where veterans list their branch of service, dates of service and dates of separation. Veterans are to provide copies of their DD214 separation papers with this section. The next section is the compensation section, which is where veterans list their disabilities and dates and places of treatment for them. Veterans are to provide copies of medical records with this section. The next section is the dependency section where veterans list any dependents they have and provide copies of divorce decrees, marriage licenses and children's birth certificates. The last section is the pension section where the veteran provides financial information as well as the disabilities they have. They attach nursing home information and medical records to this section.

The VA may take six months or more to make a decision regarding a veteran's claim. The wait time for a ruling depends upon how many claims the VA administration has received. In the meantime, the veteran receives an initial letter letting him know that the VA has received his request for benefits. He receives no further correspondence until he receives a decision letter unless the VA needs additional information from him or wants to have him evaluated by a VA medical doctor.

Veterans may check the status of their claims by calling 800-827-1000 and speaking with a customer service representative, to whom they will have to provide their Social Security number and dates of service. They may also register online at eBenefits to check their status. Alternatively, they may visit their local VA office and have a VA representative pull up their file to determine the status of their claims. They will have to identify themselves to the representative by showing them their military ID.

When the VA makes a decision on a veteran's claim, they will send her a letter of award or rejection. If awarded her claim, she will receive the monthly benefits rate assigned to her retroactively up to the date she filed her claim, so her first check will contain a lump sum for the months between the date of award and filing. If rejected, the letter will list the reason for the decision and instructions on how to appeal it.


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