Ssoc Extension Of 30 Days

[RickH]

HI,

Has anyone out there rec'd an extension on the 30 days they give you for a response after an SSOC?

How do they notify you?

[free_spirit_etc]

I never asked for an extension on that. Personally, I wouldn't count on them notifying me at all. I kept asking for an extension of time to submit evidence, and they just kept telling me they would take it into consideration -- and notify me - but no one did. (That was on IRIS).

How much longer do you have before your time is up?

[free_spirit_etc]

The 30 days is not the last time you have to submit evidence and argument. You can still add to the file after submitting your response.

[jeffperry1134]

I just got mine and it said the same thing. My advocate and I agreed that what they changed was a good rating for me and we are withdrawing our appeal to the BVA.

[FormerMember]

When you receive your SOC, you have 60 days in which to file your VA Form 9 completing the substantive appeals process. If you filed the F-9 with any new and material evidence, they have to review it, make another decision up or down and then send you a SSOC confirming it is still denied. You are not required to answer a SSOC but if you have more new evidence, you can always submit it to the BVA once the claim is certified and moved to DC. If you wish to answer the SSOC, you have 30 days in which to do so before they begin packing up the file for shipment to DC.

To me, the SSOC is concrete proof that the RO is never going to give you a fair shake or a grant at the eleventh hour. No guarantees at the BVA either but certainly better odds.

[jeffperry1134]

Well, I am in a bit of a pickle now. My POA is out of the office until the 30th and my 30 days end on the 25th. I am going to have to go to the VA and see the benefits rep Wednesday to ask for advice (scary). In my SSOC they gave me the rating I feel that I deserved but they only went back until 2011. We filed the NOD in 2009 and the appeal started in 2008. if I file another NOD on the timeline for back pay will it keep them from raising my percentage rating? I could really use the back pay right now but I don't want to be cheated out of that significant amount of money.