Appeal Award Time Frame

[deanbrt]

I have to admit to a lot of frustration built up over 6 years of appeal. My appeal for secondary was granted by the Board of Veterans Appeals April 4th of this year. After asking when it would process repeatedly, I heard nothing. In late May another party told me I should call C&P and see if the VARO had requested another exam. Sure enough, an exam had been requested for my secondary and now also my primary for which I have been service connected since 2004. I had just had one for my primary in April of 2011 ( I think that makes 4 in all) and had to wonder why another was asked for in that regard, If you read VA regulations and know that I am 64 and have been service connected the practice is to not ask for any C&Ps. I am sure that a case can be made they had to ask for one on that, also, for the award but my heart tells me that it was not necessary for that reason.

I scheduled them over the phone for June 13 and they were performed that day. I received copies last Friday and both are very favorable to me.

But the question I asked again and get no reply to is when will my award process. The answer i get is "we don;t know". I had been told 30-60 days but now I wonder. The reality is that it has been almost 90 days since the award and I still don;t have any idea where it is in the process. You would like to think something 6 years old would be a priority.

The other frustrating thing that many experience here is that your own state VARO is set up not to take any calls from you. Contrast this with how social security works.

As so many here have noted, the system has been designed to incorporate unnecessary delays in an effort to frustrate the veteran into giving up. NEVER GIVE UP.