tanya239

Buck, I felt I should cite the link for where this information ,you posted above , came from.
He gave this as testimony to the House Veterans Affairs Committee(or the Sub committee on Disability and Memorials) sometime ,I assume, in 2017.
It is a very interesting accurate statement on the appeals process and an effort to help reduce the backlog. There are MANY VA employees as dedicated as this man, who really want significant changes in the entire claims process.
 
Matthew Middlemas was and probably still is a DRO at the Milwaukee RO.
 
https://archives-veterans.house.gov/submission-for-the-record/matthew-middlemas-0
 

The following is the format for reconsideration at BVA:
DONT DO IT.   
Instead, get you a lawyer, who will represent you gratis (eaja will pay the fees, so it costs you nothing) at the CAVC.    The perfect time to do this is "after a BVA denieal".  
However, you must do this PRONTO.  You have just 60 days to appeal to the CAVC.  
The good news:  You will likely Keep your docket number so it will move quickly.  Your lawyer will look at it to make sure your case is airtight.  
Source:  This is what I did.  

Gastone is right- we need to see the BVA decision and can access it with the BVA docket #.
This TO decision would help too, as to their reasons and bases for the denial:
" I was denied IU by the regional office while by claim was on appeal at the BVA and according to the fast letter if this happens the IU claim is supposed to become part of the pending appeal in DC."
Not as far as I know but I will try to find the Fast letter you mentioned.

Its likely incorrect.  Several reasons:
1.  You can not trust VA.  
 
2.  It sounds like you got the information either from Peggy, or ebenefits, which is worse than VA.  
3.  "Ready to rate" is not a term used by the BVA.  However, its possible VARO is reconsidering your N and M evidence.  Usually that does not happen after the SOC, but when it does, a SSOC is required.  
4.  BVA decisions take longer than that.  Much longer.  They are currently doing 2013 docket numbers, and it does not even sound like you have a docket number.  When you submit new evidence while at the BVA, a SSOC is required.  Did you get a SSOC?  That is probably what you are waiting on..an SSOC, not being rated.  Sorry, but I know they will tell you "Any day now" when it is still a year or more off.  

Yes that's what it sounds like. It could change back to gathering evidence or it may even final by the time I've written this. You're just gonna have to see what the final decision is and if you disagree with it then it's time to consider an appeal.

I went to a BVA hearing at the Atlanta VARO a few months ago, and I had an experience I wanted to share. Just one more reason why I don't trust the Atlanta office. While waiting for my hearing, we were told to stay in the cafeteria. While there I witnessed two VA employees discussing a veterans claims loud enough to be overheard. I didn't hear any names mentioned, but I still found it offensive because they were laughing and one of them mentioned how this particular veteran had already received a large retro payment and made some further comment that I cannot remember clearly now, but at the time I got the distinct impression that the veteran was being looked down because that didn't make an end of all his issues. It confirmed for me what I've long suspected about this office and the attitude that some employees have toward veterans. It's a shame they were too busy joking on this veteran to notice that non-VA persons were present to hear it. Anyway, you can take this as he-said, she-said, or you can believe it. I was there. I won't forget how they laughed at the troubles of another veteran who is an actual person on the other side of the paperwork they shuffle around. For what it's worth, they could have been discussing me because I had a large retro once, because it took 7 years and the BVA telling them to do their jobs for them to make it right, but that isn't my only claim before the VA and that one large retro didn't fix my life... in fact, it only covered some of the debt accrued while waiting on them to make things right. Good luck if you live in Georgia, because these guys are not in our corner.