If you think about a year, you may have been misinformed! I got oout of the Air Force 1972 with service connected disability. 2003 I reopened my file as, my condition had increased in it's severity. It went all the way to BVA in Washington,D.C. and the Veterans Law Jugde awarded me 70% and remanded Total Disability Individual Unemployablity, which was also granted. This was on 12/23/08. I have recieved no monies at the new awarded rate, and better yet , no one knows where my file is?
One individual at Appeals management Center told me that they had claims as far back as 1990 waiting to be processed after the award had been made. So, you can expect to wait until they decided to adjudicate the claim and pay you. I even have Legal Help For Veterans working on this for me, and they can't even locate for definite my claim file, in the sea of paper .