Appeal hung up because of request for claim folder contents?

[Supply Guy]

Has anyone ever seen this message?

Thank you for inquiry.  Your appeal was received at the Board on January 15, 2019.  Subsequently, the Board received a request for a copy of the contents of your claims folder.  That request is currently under review by the Board's Privacy Act Officer for review and response.  If additional authorization is needed, the Board will contact you.  Once this action is complete, the Board will consider your appeal according to its place on the docket. 

[Supply Guy]

On 12/3/2019 at 12:56 PM, broncovet said:

Yes, I got a similar one, if not exactly the same.  

Prior to RAMP, aka AMA, the VARo was required to send you a SOC.  While this letter did not replace the SOC (or SSOC), it probably does save time.  Vets claims were "sitting" at the VARO for 2 years or more before they were even sent to BVA, part of it was the SOC, and part of it was the VARO had to "certify" it to the BVA.  Those things took VARO about 2 years.  

Your letter is a part of the process to "get" the cfile to the Board.  And, the cfile needs to be complete for the Board to make a good decision.  Of course, many/most Vets have no idea what is in their cfile, so they also have no idea if additional evidence is needed.  (The VA does not currently allow Veterans online access to their VBMS file, only some VSO's and some attorney's get VBMS access.  VBMS access is your cfile in real time.  That is important because your cfile can/does change almost on a daily basis, because VA adds new evidence, AND, the VA deletes other stuff).

    This letter is to let you know your appeal is moving forward, and, I think its a good thing.    Prior to that, the VARO could/sometimes did just "lose" your appeal and that was the end of it.  You never heard any more, and if you had another issue decided, that portion was "deemed denied" contrary to 38 CFR 3.103.    For that reason, I like knowing that my appeal did not somehow get lost betwee the VARO and the BVA or at the VARO, which has happened to me in the past.  

Wow!  Great replies.  I guess the BLUF is hurry up and wait lol   That was first Hadit post.