When Do We Hear Something?

[Guest jangrin]

Good Morning Everyone, B)

I (we) are fairly new to this board and the VA compensation and claim process as well. Sooo these past few weeks of waiting to hear something from the VA has been spent reading the posts here at "hadit". It is certainly a learning process. Thank you all for your imput on the topics presented here, as those of us new in dealing with the VA would be totally lost without you.

Does anyone know what the "average" time frame is until we hear something/ anything from the VA regarding an initial claim. And does anyone know how long social security takes to process an inital claim for SSD. Also, when we do hear something, what is the next step. (it's approved?, C&P exams?). My husband filed claim for DM II with multiple secondary all at one time in March. Still waiting to hear something.

Thanks for your help, have a great day B)

Jangrin

[john999]

jangrin

It took me about 4 months from application to approval for SSDI. It took much longer for the VA. I would say it will probably take at least a year for the VA and maybe even longer. It depends how complicated the VA claim is and how good the evidence is and what side of the bed the VARO gets up on each day. The shortest claim I ever did was for agent orange DMII and that took one year. Prepare to wait. You can call the VA 800 number about once a month just to see how things are moving or not moving.

It can take a long time for SSDI also if you are denied the first time and have to hire a lawyer.

[Guest jangrin]

Thanks for the info..... thats helps some....

Does the VA ever get it right the first time around? B) Or should we plan on having to appeal thier decision?

Thanks again,

Jangrin B)

[john999]

My feeling is that they usually low ball vets but sometimes they get it right. I think they almost always leave off some benefit you might be entitled to get.

[Guest DON20906]

VA's stated goal is to complete the "average" claim in 100 days or less. Less complex claims and those done by smaller ROs are meeting that goal, but as claims pile up (backlog estimated at 1 million claims by 2009)and get more complex and as new laws and court decisions put more burden on the ROs, don't expect things to get any faster. The big ROs are abysmally bogged down, and are losing experienced VSRs and RVSRs quicker than they can train new ones. I heard 40% of VA's current career civil servants will be retirement-eligible over the next 10 years and VA has no succession plans.

I hear SSA is the same, especialy in appeals which run 4-7 years, according to Dorcas Hardy, former SSA Administrator who spoke at an initial meeting of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission that I attended last year. Same one that DoD weasel presented at, Chu, I think was his name. He's the one who advocated merging VA into DoD. There's a brilliant idea!

If your husband is presumptive for Agent Orange and all the medical evidence is in the file or easy to get, then his claims should be decided fairly quickly, because it's an "easy End Product." The VA's triage system knocks out claims where not much development is required, but they still have to jump through all the VCAA hoops. You should have gotten or will get a letter with a "VCAA Notice Response Form" included. If you have no additional evidence, sign it as such and send it in ASAP or VA will be required to sit on your claim for 60 days. Make sure you reply to EVERYTHING VA sends you, even if it doesn't require a reply. Just send a not saying you received it; nothing will put the brakes on a claim faster than leaving open items hanging.

Good Morning Everyone, B)

I (we) are fairly new to this board and the VA compensation and claim process as well. Sooo these past few weeks of waiting to hear something from the VA has been spent reading the posts here at "hadit". It is certainly a learning process. Thank you all for your imput on the topics presented here, as those of us new in dealing with the VA would be totally lost without you.

Does anyone know what the "average" time frame is until we hear something/ anything from the VA regarding an initial claim. And does anyone know how long social security takes to process an inital claim for SSD. Also, when we do hear something, what is the next step. (it's approved?, C&P exams?). My husband filed claim for DM II with multiple secondary all at one time in March. Still waiting to hear something.

Thanks for your help, have a great day B)

Jangrin

[john999]

I had a DRO Hearing on my upper extremity peripheral neuropathy about 8 months ago. The way it went was that the SO from the American Legion was there, I was there and my wife was there and the DRO. After yacking for about 10 minutes the DRO announced he could grant service connection on the upper PN. I said OK I was satisfied. It still took the DRO about 3 months to render the decision because he got all the latest medical evidence together and did a review. All this stuff was in my record from the very beginning but I was denied on the first and second go round. They have to make it look like a real investigation even if it is a done deal. The tacit understanding was that I would drop the appeal for an EED. No big deal to me since there was no money involved in that.

[Guest DON20906]

Congratulations. Longer wait, bigger check.

I had a DRO Hearing on my upper extremity peripheral neuropathy about 8 months ago. The way it went was that the SO from the American Legion was there, I was there and my wife was there and the DRO. After yacking for about 10 minutes the DRO announced he could grant service connection on the upper PN. I said OK I was satisfied. It still took the DRO about 3 months to render the decision because he got all the latest medical evidence together and did a review. All this stuff was in my record from the very beginning but I was denied on the first and second go round. They have to make it look like a real investigation even if it is a done deal. The tacit understanding was that I would drop the appeal for an EED. No big deal to me since there was no money involved in that.