Letter From Va

[qmasters3240]

Has anyone on this site either personally received or know of any other veterans who have received a letter from the VA asking them to either check if they have no additional information to present in support of their claim or check that they have additional information that they are seeking an will provide it within 60 days. If so, do you know what this means? Is it possible that they are close to reaching a decision ,or is this just another stall tatic?

[Berta]

This is most likely the VCAA election notice.

At least you got one -as it seems this triggers the VA to actually work on the claim-if you have no more evidence or they will wait for any additional evidence.

Did they also send you Important Reply Requested and then highlight or underline specific statements in it as to what you still need for your claim?

By not sending me a VCAA notice like this, my claim was held up and then sent to the BVA.My medical evidence,including 2 IMOS ,was completely ignored.

It is against VA case law and regs to do that so I was successful in getting a fast remand.

I found a similiar claim at the BVA and responded with the same type of evidence that I guess a VCAA letter would have asked me for.

They immediately started to work on my claim this September when it was remanded.Except for the brief journey to and from the BVA-it has been there for 3 1/2 years.

The VA is not allowed to deny any claim that has validity if they do not send the vet proper VCAA letter and the form you got.

But this is the stall tactic- by not sending proper VCAA notice, and by not telling the vet what evidence they need to succeed, then VA has been denying claims that end up at the BVA and two years later they get sent back to the VARO because the VA failed to send the VCAA letter in the first place.

It is a big scam and VAROs are doing this while vet reps stand by and watch.

My vet rep boss tried to tell me I got a VCAA letter.

What I got was not one but it was listed as one on the SSOC.

I wrote to the BVA and they could see what I got -not a VCAA letter.

I actually had to spell out for my POA what one really was. I found that my own POA has had multiple remands at the BVA in 2006 due to violation of this regulation because the veteran got a letter but it did not state what they needed to send nor did they get the election notice that you got.

Edited October 21, 2006 by Berta (see edit history)

[Railroader]

I just got one a week or so ago and I call my SO and he said the VA probably hopes that veterans will check off the wrong blank and withdraw their appeals. The other blank is to NOD the decision and have it sent back to the BVA or at least that is what mine says.

Railroader

[Cavman]

I got that fairly quick on my original claim. I filed my appeal last month and haven`t received one yet, but did receive a small sheet for me to pick either DRO or traditional way of deciding my appeal. Did that come quick or normal time, 1 month?

Cavman

[Guest jangrin]

I'm fairly certain that you recieved the VCAA notice. This notice is the start of the VARO working your claim. The 800# told my husband that the average claim process takes between 12 and 18 months to process. I think you will have a wait, have you been sent to any C&P exams yet?

My husband was sent for his first C&P at the 8 month time frame. Still waiting, at 10 months, no further contact from VA yet.

Make sure you sign and send in the notice, I believe it triggers the VA to work on your claim.

Jangrin

[Pete53]

You will continue to get that same letter every 2 or 3 months till your SO wirtes their letter and forwards back to VARO.

[Chuck75]

Yes, I received such a letter. However, to me it meant that I could submit additional info, (if I had any), or not, as I chose. The 60 day limit was mentioned, however, by doing so, you will stretch out the decision based upon what you submitted. Knowing that it would take months to collect data needed to backup additional claims, and the year limit still applies, although the letter did not mention it, I ignored the form.

As a result, the award letter was sent to me about four months after the original claim was submitted.

(Atlanta (Decatur) GA RO. )

At the moment, they are not doing so well. I recently sent them a certified letter (first week in October) requesting a copy of records that they "have on loan" from the national records center. I have received the "green card" showing that they received the letter. There is no notation in my file that they ever received the letter. I have been told that it would be a good idea to send them another copy of the letter.

Has anyone on this site either personally received or know of any other veterans who have received a letter from the VA asking them to either check if they have no additional information to present in support of their claim or check that they have additional information that they are seeking an will provide it within 60 days. If so, do you know what this means? Is it possible that they are close to reaching a decision ,or is this just another stall tatic?

Edited October 22, 2006 by Chuck75 (see edit history)