Waiting on Rating, BVA, hardship flagged

[Doc_Sinned]

I've been a lurker on here for a little bit, I have been able to find most of my questions answered on here through a quick search, but I'm having trouble finding anything related to my current question.

I had a partial grant last month from the BVA; two approvals, one increase, one denial, and two remands. I'm currently waiting on my RO in Muskogee, OK to promulgate my rating. They received my file on February 28th, 2017, and so far nothing has changed in ebenefits, and iris inquiries have left me with more questions than answers. I'm also in an expedited status due to extreme financial hardship.

Is a case that's been flagged for hardship treated more expeditiously than a normal BVA grant? I ask because VLJ already stated that it should be treated in an expedited matter because it's an Appeal (everyone is expedited after BVA = no one is expedited, lol). I left a complaint on IRIS to my RO about how that the BVA has the FL 10-02 going over this exact circumstance and that I'm also flagged under hardship status. What else can I do from here? Running out of time...

[Doc_Sinned]

Looked at my appointments on ebenefits. The RO requested a C&P exam on 03/29/17. I know it takes months for C&Ps usually. However, I'm not sure if that's because of the wait from the RO requesting one or if it's the wait on a slot opening up in the C&P examiner's schedule. Can't find anything on "the google" about it. Any ideas? After the C&P is completed, I'll wait a month probably before calling the guy at the RO again. He did get my appeal looked at the same day so I'm wondering if he's making up for my file being sent back to the BVA for a month due to the mistake. Also, does financial hardship help expedite the C&P process or does that only effect the RO? 

[Doc_Sinned]

Update, C&P was cancelled since they already had enough evidence. The retro was $10k less than what I was expecting since my effective date for sleep apnea was set for when I had my sleep study instead of when I filed, it's still a nice sum though. I'll be getting $45k and my attorney will get $12k. So it was $57k in total. I'm rated at 70% now. I still have two remands left; one for hearing loss and the other for PTSD. My regional office said I should expect retro by this Wednesday or next Wednesday at the latest. It's currently waiting on finance before they send the payment out.

[R3dneck]

Success to you my friend. ?

[smithmary614]

Doc_sinned, how long were flagged for financial hardship before you got your decision? I have been waiting for an appeal decision for almost four years now. I finally got my exams done first week of January of this year and the VA has the reports. I got flashed for financial hardship last week after my vehicle was repossessed and I lost my job. My exams are done ans I am flashed, how long do you think it might take now to get a decision?

[Doc_Sinned]

Below is my timeline based on eBenefits changes and phone calls. I'm not sure when my financial hardship was actually approved since I used congressman to prod the line a bit. Not only that, but because of a screw up at my RO, the BVA Ombudsman dropped the ball (as soon as RO received case file back from BVA they sent it back to BVA with no work done) and gave me the direct phone number and email to the appeals department working my claim (the one in charge of my appeal), which is rare. Anyways, here's the time line, results may vary.

 

10/10/2016 Filed for Financial Hardship

12/23/2016 Contacted Local Congressman

01/27/2017 With Veterans Law Judge

01/29/2017 With Veterans Law Judge

02/06/2017 With Veterans Law Judge

02/21/2017 With Veterans Law Judge

02/22/2017 With Veterans Law Judge 

02/23/2017 Pending Case Dispatch

02/27/2017 Pending Case Dispatch

02/27/2017 Remanded Appeal

02/28/2017 RO Received Appeal

03/01/2017 VLJ Letter Sent (BBE)

03/04/2017 Received VLJ Decision in Mail

03/13/2017 Remanded Appeal

03/27/2017 Remanded Appeal

03/29/2017 Received Call from RO*

03/30/2017 RO Called - Need C&P for OSA

04/03/2017 RO Called - C&P for OSA Cancelled

04/05/2017 Dependent Showing on eBenefits 

04/10/2017 Approvals with Finance Department

04/17/2017 eBenefits Showing 70% Disability

04/19/2017 Attorney Faxed Stressor Letters to RO

04/20/2017 Retro Deposited in Account (Direct Deposit)

 

This doesn't help you now but stick with it, after all was said and done I'm now at 100% P&T. When my appeal finished I filed for all the joint pain I have pushing me from 90% to 100%.

[Doc_Sinned]

So two weeks based on them wanting c&p that was canceled to three months if we go by when I was approved for financial hardship.