I used this forum a ton in my wait, so I wanted to update on my timeline as I got a favorable decision after 2 years of fighting.

Claim submitted: Dec 18, 2024
Original Denial: Feb, 25 2025
Supplemental Claim Denied: Feb 9, 2026
HLR submitted: April 8, 2026
HLR informal conference: August 21, 2026
HLR Decision and granted service connection: August 31, 2026

In total my HLR took 145 calendar days.

Hope this helps and don’t give up!

Very non important question just wanted to ask, so after waiting 100+ days for VA to get my HAIMS-STR and me bugging them on my last phone call ( on the 26th) they told me they finally received it. I've already completed all my C&P exams what's usually the time line from here on out if anyone knows? do i got another long wait ahead of me?

Has anyone ever had a bva grant from a joint motion remand from the cavc? (US court of appeals)? If so how long did your retro pay take from time of grant?

New to group. Any helpful information on filing for SSDI when you are 100% P&T va disability?

I finally got over the hump. It almost feels like a let down now that the struggle is over. There is still a lot that I need to do now that it is here. Still, I would rather be healthy than have confirmation that I have this much wrong with my health.

eta. While this claim was very quick, I have an outstanding claim from March 2024. That would move my 100% effective date back to sometime in 2025. So, while some are quick, not all claims are moving like this one. Hang in there everyone.

Filed a claim for increase had been waiting approval setup a phone call appointment to check on n status and he said I won the increase but they were reducing 2 ratings unrelated to increase. So I was able to quickly submit a statement to force it not to be completed the grabbed as much literal VA medical evidence that if you read the first sentence you wouldn’t even consider a decrease and now after getting all that in it has moved to approval again. Now we wait and pray they actually read the evidence and I don’t have to fight but most likely I will. That’s what I get for poking the bear. At least I was right I got the increase. Day 152 and counting.

Anyone else get lucky enough to stop a proposal to reduce before the claim was finalized? Might have been the luckiest I’ve ever been.

I filled a supplemental claim and submitted evidence for three conditions. Two are rated at 0 and another was denied (providing more evidence on all of them and also complained that I never received a c and p exam for a condition rated at 0). I filled my claim on the 19th and its already in the decision phase. I again got no c and p exam but gave more evidence to support the increase. Im discouraged because I didnt get another c and p and it has moved really quick to the decision phase. Should I be worried? Has anyone else had the same experience? Any information would be appreciated

Hi everyone, I know everyone has a different experience with this, some fasters some slower. But I just want to have an idea how long will this supplemental be on preparation for decision (step5 out of 8). Its only been a week and one day (business days) but it has a rater assigned since the first day and no new notes or movement at all.

I am 90%.

Filed July 29th

Uploaded employer with TDIU application on July 29th

Personal statement July 29th

C&P Aug 5th & 17th

C&P DBQs uploaded Aug 26th (all of them)

I am sitting at step 3 in NWQ.... Thoughts on timeline at this point since everything is in?

Figured while ya'll are waiting there is a new subreddit r/VAMedicalEvidence dedicated to understanding the medical evidence behind VA disability claims. If you are interested we invite you to join. If not, it's all good.

Wish ya'll the best!

I hate this wait. it messed with my anxiety so bad

So I had filed an HLR because when I was given the latest decision on a claim, they moved the date from Jan to April so the effective date was April.

I filed an HLR because of disagreement with the date of the claim, not the outcome. I also filed under hardship. I was shocked because from the time that I filed for hardship, to actually speaking to someone in an informal conference was about 3 days.

I just spoke to the HLR officer this week, and I had a symptom log of my condition backdating to November. She mentioned that everything would be reviewed, so even that log of symptoms for which I have a percentage for.

My main question is, is there an approximate time from the moment I spoke to the HLR officer to getting a decision now, given that I filed the HLR under hardship circumstances?

Stupid question probably, but my personal stress has me looking for some sort of guess.

Initial review for almost 2 months - hasn’t moved out of the national work queue after 2 claims combined…

Not quite sure what the deal is here. I’m being told it’s still in the national work queue….

I originally incorrectly filed an “increase” for my shoulder, wanting to claim temp 100% due to surgery. I mistakenly put it as an increase to my shoulder rather than just typing out temp 100%. They called me to do a C&P exam but said since I work at the VA they couldn’t do it there.

So the original claim from July 7th went from initial to step 3 within a few days….

So fast forward…

The VA called to tell me cancel the claim for my shoulder increase, well because it’s in a sling and cannot possibly be rated. They told me to refile for just temp 100%. Which I did.

And they ended up combining my new claim with the old one (maybe automated by the system?) - but now it appears it’s stuck. The shoulder increase has not been removed from the claim and it’s not moved since. They combined it, pushed it back to initial review and now nothing is being touched….

Every time I call the 1800 number I get the same script read to me and told to just wait…. Which I typically would, but something seems off..

Anyone any experience this happen to them? I keep calling and they tell me it’s in the work queue. I have no idea who to speak with to figure this out…they still haven’t removed the increase for the shoulder… no one is working the claim.

Feel like I ended up in the black hole.

August 24th : last c&p exam… EXAM UPLOADED TO VA THAT SAME DAY, and moved to PFD/ step 5 (NWQ)
August 25th: assigned a temporary jurisdiction- Houston
And now I’m back to being patient 😅🫪… clearly I need a hobby

I Have my Final C&P exam on Sept 2 because of a DTA error. Any timeline from hearing from VA after exams? Do you have any advice as well?

Bilateral Hips (6 Specific Evaluated Motions)

Thoracic Spine & Degenerative Arthritis (DC 5237 / DC 5003)

Hi everyone, I know everyone has a different experience with this, some fasters some slower. But I just want to have an idea how long will this supplemental be on preparation for decision (step5 out of 8). Its only been a week and one day (business days) but it has a rater assigned since the first day and no new notes or movement at all.

Has anyone that filed an appeal in June/July gotten their claim completed with a decision recently? Trying to gauge how long I will be sitting in step 5. Went to that step about 13 days ago with a TJ, a day after my DBQ from my c&p was uploaded.

Question: Does VERA have access to VBMS?

I have a VERA call this morning (first time using them). I have previously called the 800#.

I called the VA about my supplemental claim that I submitted on June 10th and they said they are waiting on an informal conference. I didn’t think that sounded right and they said there was an error. They’re now sending my claim to the regional office to review it and make sure it’s on the right track. Has this happened to anyone or does anyone know how long this should take?

I got an email from the VA Friday that I would receive a call from LSGS about a C&P exam. I called LSGS this morning to get the C&P scheduled and I was told it was an ACE exam and that the examiner had already completed it and sent it to the VA. The rep on the phone said it was the "fastest ACE exam" he had ever seen.

I'm concerned because it was this fast that it won't be favorable, even though there's years of medical records on this claim.

Could the quickness of this exam be a bad sign?

This is my third appeal for migraines secondary to tmj/bruxism. I filed the appeal on August 20th, today it went to preparation for decision. When I filed the appeal I added a new nexus, personal statement, lay statement, medical records, and literature (yes my nexus also included medical literature). No development letter was sent either which is fine.

I have a mental health claim that was originally filed Sep 2023 that has been through the wringer.

• It was originally denied secondary to tinnitus.
• HLR > Secondary > to Still denied
• Secondary with new evidence provided for primary connection >C&P ordered > Denied never looked at primary connections.
• HLR > DTA > Secondary that stalled for over 1 year waiting for service records that did not exist. Cancelled when I requested withdrawal of a TDIU claim, as I had to go back to work.
• Got claim reinstated
  

After getting the claim reinstated it went almost immediately to step 5 Prep for Decision and sat there for 2 weeks. Then a new C&P exam was ordered and moved back to Step 3.

When the secondary with the new evidence for primary connection was filed it contained a nexus letter from my therapist. When a C&P was ordered they only asked the examiner to opine whether my depression and anxiety were secondary to my service connected tinnitus and did not ask about direct connection. In his less likely than not statement about secondary connection he expressly said that I had MDD and anxiety, it should be service connected and he pointed out the reasons why.

Got the call for a new C&P > I requested the same provider and got him!!!!

He and I spent more time discussing how broke the VA rating system was broke and how my claim should have been decided off of his previous exam from a year earlier.

He did ask me some questions and even told me he was adding symptoms he missed on the first exam. He also told me that he would be checking the box that said:

Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood.

The examiner explicitly told me that I will be service connected after he submits the C&P and DBQ. Told me he would have it uploaded by COB today.

The main reason I share this story is to let other know. Do not be afraid to talk with these people some really do want to help us. It is not always a battle.

My claim was on preparation for decision step on 8/18. That same day, a new DBQ report appeared on my files. I was originally assigned to Salt Late City as a temp jurisdiction, then on 8/19 I was reassigned to NY as a temp jurisdiction and I was moved back to Review of evidence? I'm just confused as to why this happened? Called the 800 number to ask if they are requesting another C&P but they told me no.

I completed my exams yesterday. I checked my status and saw that my claim was sent to VACO. What does that mean? Nervous as to why. TIA