How Do You Check The Status Of Your VA Claim?
Filing a VA claim appeal and waiting for a decision can be time-consuming, but there are easy ways to see where you are at in the process.
The VA offers several ways for veterans to track their claim progress. A veteran can go to a regional VA office in person, call 1 (800) 827–1000, or visit the VA website to track the progress of the appeal.
Find Your VA Claim Status Online
To easily check VA claim status online, veterans will need to enter their login credentials at va.gov. They can use any of these accounts: (1) ID me, (2) My HealtheVet, or the (3) DS Logon (the same sign-in credentials as the eBenefits account).
For those who don’t have logins registered yet, create one by going to va.gov. After you have successfully logged in, visit the area that will let you view the appeal and claim status. It will then take you to the tracker tool for appeals.
Status Information for a Current Appeal
Many helpful pieces of information are located on the main page called ‘Your Compensation Appeals and Claims’. This includes information about the appeal status, the issues, and the date the decision was reached. For further details concerning the appeal, navigate to the ‘View Status’ option.
To see the active appeal status and to learn more about the remainder of the process, see the ‘View Status’ page. This will include the status and more information about the next step (whether or not the Board will make a final decision). It will also let you know if any action is required on your part (this will be designated with a yellow alert box).
Status Information for All Issues
On the same page at the top, the issues section will show you data about any other issues that are also being appealed. It will also list closed issues that have since been withdrawn, denied, or granted.
Process Overview
Being aware of where you are in the appeals process can help you stay on top of deadlines and fulfill all of the required steps.
Typically, the steps required to process a disability claim include the following:
- The claim moves to the ‘claim received’ status once the VA receives it.
- Once the claim is under review, a representative will assess whether or not more proof is required, such as the results of your Compensation and Pension Exam.
- If your claim does require more proof, the representative handling your claim will request it.
- Each piece of gathered proof is reviewed.
- The representative for the Veterans Service is preparing a final decision that he or she will recommend and they will also furnish the documents that support that choice. At this stage, the decision is pending approval.
- The decision is finalized, and essential details that influenced the decision will be noted.
- Finally, the claim appeal decision is complete and will be mailed.
This is why being involved in the claim through easy online access can ensure veterans don’t miss anything when their VA claim is processing. Whether you are looking up information about a current or past claim, the VA website is comprehensive and includes data regarding all of these issues.
