"Awaiting Adjudication"

[Kihr]

I submitted my claim 9/24, I had the C&P exams on 11/6, and I am still waiting.  I talked to my VSO today and she said I was "Awaiting adjudication" and that it could be several more months and I may need more exams.  I know the VA is a long process, but it has been 10 months already and I am not sure what "awaiting adjudication" means.  The VSO seemed a little annoyed, I call about 1 time a month, it just is frustrating.  I don't know why a claim should take 10 months, I know I have read about appeals taking years so I shouldn't complain.  I just feel that 10 months is an unreasonable amount of time to be "months away"  

[Phury & Rhage]

On 7/3/2019 at 12:06 PM, Kihr said:

" I feel hesitant to call the White house hotline.  I just feel like I am being a complainer"
 

I get why you'd feel that way, but I think that call best serves your interests.  You should be your own best advocate (as Berta suggests) and making that phone call will get results.  I ended up with 2 of those calls inside of a week.  They come directly down from the top and have very short suspense dates.  I think I was given 3 days to closely evaluate the claim and provide a thorough summary of exactly where it was in the process and what still needed to be accomplished.  From my experience (and your description), I think I would ask a couple things:  1) exactly where is it in the process; 2) do they need any further evidence to decide the issue; and 3) when is the next action scheduled to take place?  In the last question, there is room for directed action.  For instance, the system automatically sets suspense dates based on certain actions.  For an initial claim, there might be a 6-week suspense date where the claim is sitting out there not being touched by anyone.  It won't be assigned out until the beginning of that 6th week.  I don't claim to know the rhyme or reason for setting those suspense dates, but I think calling the WH line could get your suspense date shortened.  You'd have to be incredibly specific though.  If I have to send out for private medical records, I set a 15-day suspense (per the manual).  If I don't get a response (and that's the only thing the claim is waiting for) then I'm going to send you a "final attempt" letter saying you are ultimately responsible for getting those records to us and then I'm done with that claim.  The system is going to set the suspense date and then it should go to a decision-maker.  If you call in and say, "I want my claim moved forward because there is no further development necessary and they've had it "pending" for an unreasonable amount of time," there's a pretty good chance that someone will direct action to be taken.  That's a guess, but I know just how seriously those WH calls are taken.

Good luck to you,

Phury

[Kihr]

13 hours ago, paulstrgn said:

Also does VA.gov tell you when the case is expected to be completed? There should be a date range.

The range was changed from 1/16/19-3/4/19 to 3/24/19- 4/2019 to 08/24/19-1/1/20 to 6/5-7/20. (on 6/5)

I included a claim for dependents as I am married with 1 kid, and an currently 20% ( I was optimistic about an increase).  This claim date moved on 6/21 to 7/31-8/28.  Previously it had been 12/18/2018

The VSO said I may even need additional exams....its been 8 months since my first exams (3 exams).  Additionally, like I mentioned she said it could still take months...I just don't I know what to do.  I am only so patient.

[Kihr]

@paulstrgn The status went from gather of evidence to reviewing evidence, and then back to "gathering of evidence" with a exam request needed, and then cancelled.  I feel hesitant to call the White house hotline.  I just feel like I am being a complainer, and I learned through some research that adding dependents to a claim can take a long time because there are less raters for this duty.  With that being said, 10 months still seems unreasonable.  Have you used the phone line?  I haven't felt this type of anxiety since I was leaving the service and waiting for unknown people to determine my fate via my MEB.   When I made my initial claim I was extraordinarily ignorant about the process, I don't recall if I had a VSO help me with it or not, but I don't believe I did.  I didn't even include the reason I was placed on TDRL and involuntarily separated from the military.  I was so tired of dealing with the process after a nearly 2 year MEB that I just accepted the 20% and moved on...I didn't feel like being anxious and uncertain about what was going to happen to me again.  I started school quickly after leaving the service and I just wanted to "move on" as the 2 year holding period seriously weighed on me.  If I could go kick my younger self in the ass I would lol.
 

[Kihr]

23 hours ago, Phury & Rhage said:

I get why you'd feel that way, but I think that call best serves your interests.  You should be your own best advocate (as Berta suggests) and making that phone call will get results.  I ended up with 2 of those calls inside of a week.  They come directly down from the top and have very short suspense dates.  I think I was given 3 days to closely evaluate the claim and provide a thorough summary of exactly where it was in the process and what still needed to be accomplished.  From my experience (and your description), I think I would ask a couple things:  1) exactly where is it in the process; 2) do they need any further evidence to decide the issue; and 3) when is the next action scheduled to take place?  In the last question, there is room for directed action.  For instance, the system automatically sets suspense dates based on certain actions.  For an initial claim, there might be a 6-week suspense date where the claim is sitting out there not being touched by anyone.  It won't be assigned out until the beginning of that 6th week.  I don't claim to know the rhyme or reason for setting those suspense dates, but I think calling the WH line could get your suspense date shortened.  You'd have to be incredibly specific though.  If I have to send out for private medical records, I set a 15-day suspense (per the manual).  If I don't get a response (and that's the only thing the claim is waiting for) then I'm going to send you a "final attempt" letter saying you are ultimately responsible for getting those records to us and then I'm done with that claim.  The system is going to set the suspense date and then it should go to a decision-maker.  If you call in and say, "I want my claim moved forward because there is no further development necessary and they've had it "pending" for an unreasonable amount of time," there's a pretty good chance that someone will direct action to be taken.  That's a guess, but I know just how seriously those WH calls are taken.

Good luck to you,

Phury

I will wait until my "estimated completion date." It is only 2 weeks from today, and then I will probably call.  I can only be so patient, and I will take your recommended questions with me, they seem like the proper thing to ask.