NOD VA 21-0958 No DRO HEARING Box to Check WTF

[Gastone]

There is no place on the NOD 21-0958 for the Vet to specifically request a DRO Hearing, as opposed to a DRO Review. What's a Vet supposed to do?  I'd say a VET or his VSR should attach a "Stmt in Support of Claim" to his 21-0958 specifically requesting the "DRO HEARING" as opposed to the DRO Review. Failure to do so, could result in an unexpected DRO Review Denial and SOC. Next stop BVA Hearing, 3+ years down-range, not good.

A Hadit Vet recently told me the DRO Hearing option was no longer available. As yet I haven't seen anything "VA Official Directive" attesting to that statement.

Prior to the VA issuing an Official NOD 21-0958 form (Sept 2015), a Vet could notify the VA of his NOD on any manner of correspondence. I think most Vets used the "Statement in Support of Claim," I know I did back in 09. As I recall, the common advice on VAWatchdog.org was to just notify the VA of your NOD, don't request the DRO Hearing until you received the VA Acknowledgement of your NOD Filing which would include a request for your decision on what type of DRO or Traditional RO Review you chose. Upon this VA Form, you were to "Write-In'" that you wanted a "DRO HEARING" as opposed to the DRO Review.

I personally informed the VA on my very 1st NOD SISOC, and every piece of correspondence thereafter, that I was waiting on a DRO Hearing. Finally got my DRO Hearing about 4.25 yrs after filing the original NOD.        Semper Fi

[Buck52]

I think a veteran can use an extra piece of paper and submit the request for DRO Hearing attached their 21 0958.

Back when I had my DRO Hearing I got a letter from R.O. Stating I could request a DRO Hearing within 30 days of receipt of this letter, I sent the request back on a 21 -0958 attached to it statment in support of claim

A Veteran can use the statement in support of claim to request anything from what they told  me.

Rather from a denial or from a proposal to reduce

When did the VA Stop the DRO Request? I never heard anything about that?