Chicago Va

[strikeout]

Does anyone know how long it takes for a nod at the Chicago VA?

[Pete53]

If you have been waiting for over 1 year or more you should consider a Writ of Mandamus and a complaint to Jim Filners Veterans Committee and possible others.

Someone has got to put the heat on these yahoos

[sgmdae]

I am working part of my claim through Chicago

What kind of heat are you talking about

Ready Aid Fire

[Chuck75]

The VA in general takes whatever time it takes. You certainly noticed the time it took to move your NOD from one desk to another.

That aside, in the 70's I moved from Bloomington Illinois to a Chicago suburb. As a result, I had to transfer from one VA approved flight training school to another. At the time, I had passed the written FAA exam for the next class of license, and was just building the required number of flight hours needed to take the flight exam. The Chicago VA kept delaying sending out a new entitlement letter, authorizing the training at the new flight school. After spending about $600 of my own money, I had no alternative but to interrupt training until the VA re-authorized and paid for my outstanding training costs. This was a not much different situation when compared to todays veterans problems with GI bill payments.

Finally, I had to go to the Chicago VARO in person. Because I worked for a National Defense Plant at that time, I had a suit on, and displayed the requisite badges, simply because I had to normally wear them at work. Because of this I was allowed "free run" of the VA facility to pursue the effort to get the VA to issue a new certificate, and authorize payment of training expenses incurred in the interim.

When I left, I had a handwritten certificate of entitlement, and a copy of the approval for repayment of my expenses. The handwritten certificate was later replaced with the usual computer generated certificate, about six months later.

As a result of the delays, and subsequent transfer to a foreign (NATO) country, I was unable to continue training in the foreign country. This occurred because of a quirk in international (ICAO) agreements. The US (Chicago) consulate of the country was unwilling to generate the required paperwork to obtain the requisite licenses, and they had to be issued as a result of that paperwork. Once in the foreign country, I would have had to do all the previous training over again at my expense, and obtain licenses from the foreign country as if I did not already hold US licenses recognized by the ICAO treaty agreements.

Basically, this whole debacle prevented me from completing training as an ATR licensed and rated pilot. (Perhaps a blessing in disguise, based upon later medical problems resulting from A.O. exposure)

Does anyone know how long it takes for a nod at the Chicago VA?

[broncovet]

Strikeout:

A "NOD" has 3 different types of appeals.

1. DRO REVIEW. This is the fastest. An experienced DRO review officer reads your files over and issues a new decision. This can be done in 2-12 months.

2. DRO Hearing. Second fastest. A DRO hearing officer has to schedule your case and set a hearing. Then you get a decision a few months after the hearing. Probably about 18 months or so..

3. BVA appeal. Your claim goes to the BVA in Washington DC. Count on this taking at least two years. Then, your claim goes back to the RO and this can take a few more months.

It is you who elects which type of appeal it is. You can do #1 or #2 and still do #3 if you dont like the result.

Remember: Your appeal takes exactly how long the VA wants it to take. NO more, no less. The times I gave are a fairly good average, but they can be less or more than that, depending upon how good a mood your Va is in.

Remember, that, under our new Secretary Shinseki, he is supposed to reduce the backlog, and get claims out faster. He is going backwards, and the claims backlog has grown 15% since he took office, so it just keeps getting worse. It could well be 3-4 years, or more, before your claim is done. There are literally 1,000,000 Veterans who are waiting on their claims ahead of you..that is the backlog..I did not make it up.

Edited October 17, 2009 by broncovet

[carlie]

Strikeout:

A "NOD" has 3 different types of appeals.

3. BVA appeal. Your claim goes to the BVA in Washington DC. Count on this taking at least two years. Then, your claim goes back to the RO and this can take a few more months.

It is you who elects which type of appeal it is. You can do #1 or #2 and still do #3 if you dont like the result.

This thread is going off topic from the original question that strikeout presented.

Strikeout - there is really no precise answer to your question.

I would speculate and state, from the time you filed your NOD anywhere

between 6-24 months to recieve a decision.

Did you submit any additional evidence with your NOD?

bronco,

For the record a NOD alone won't get a claim into BVA's jurisdiction.

A form 9 (I-9) must be submitted or the claim won't leave the RO.

carlie

Introduction

An appellant files a substantive appeal to perfect the appeal before it is sent to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). This topic contains a information on

• the purpose of a substantive appeal

• what constitutes a substantive appeal

• the substantive appeal time limit

• computing the substantive appeal time limit, and

• handling a time limit extension request.

Change Date June 19, 2006

a. Purpose of a Substantive Appeal

An appellant and/or his/her representative must file a substantive appeal in response to a statement of the case (SOC) in order to perfect or complete the appeal.

Once an appellant and/or his/her representative files a substantive appeal, the appeal is certified and sent to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) if no other development is necessary.

Continued on next page

22. Substantive Appeal, Continued

b. What Constitutes a Substantive Appeal

A substantive appeal is one of the following documents containing the necessary information as provided in 38 CFR 20.202:

• VA Form 9, Appeal to Board of Veterans’ Appeals

• written correspondence containing the elements listed below, or

• a statement at a formal hearing or informal conference reduced to writing.

Necessary Information: The information below must be included in a substantive appeal.

• If the SOC and any subsequent supplemental statements of the case (SSOCs) addressed several issues, the substantive appeal must either

 indicate that the appeal is being perfected as to all of those issues, or

 must specifically identify the issues appealed.

• The substantive appeal should set out specific arguments relating to errors of fact or law made by the agency of original jurisdiction in reaching the decision(s) being appealed. To the extent feasible, the argument should relate to specific items in the SOC and any subsequent SSOCs.

Note: BVA will

• construe such arguments in a liberal manner for the purpose of determining whether they raise issues on appeal

• not presume that an appellant agrees with any statement of fact contained in an SOC or SSOC which is not specifically contested, and

• determine the adequacy of a substantive appeal.

[Pete53]

Bronco:

I filed for S rating in November, took a C&P in February and was awarded S rating and got 3 months back pay. I asked for review hearing at WACO and had it in less than 60 days and was denied with letter in 2 days.

I would like to hear from others how long DRO reviews are taking