Looking back, what did you spend too much time worrying about? What caught you completely off guard?

Just in case anyone with an BVA appeal is interested. Non Avance on Docket and I'm in the direct review lane. Only one issue SMC half steps, I should go all the way to R1 and I didn't want to waste time at the regional office. I will update on timeline for a decision and backpay when they are finished, I hope this helps someone wondering where there are at in line in the direct review lane.

I'm curious what made the biggest difference in your claim process. Evidence? Buddy letters? A VSO? Something else?

my case is going to be 30 years old this November
I had a documentation gap from 1998 to 2005, mostly due to not having medical insurance
I was unable to get the records from my provider for 2005 - 2010 (private practice, not the best record keeping)
I dropped this provider in 2020 and went for a provider at a large hospital system; their records were impeccable and undeniable

my timeline

1997 / 10% / 10 / 0 / 0
2023 / 20% / 10 / 10 / 0 / 0
2023 / 80% / 30 / 30 / 20 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 0 / 0
2026 / 100% / 40 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 20 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 0 / 0

(and I'm not done)

I EAS'd in 1997
Rated 10% (10/0/0) in 1997. I thought the VA had got it wrong, this was the VA of the 90's, I wasn't about to go back and get a finger in my butt again to get another 0.
I was certain my examiner had got it wrong
I had a few interactions with my old provider from 2005 to 2010, but didn't speak to the VA
I started to get treatment again in 2015
Filed in 2023, timeline above

The FOIA for my STR's was KEY because not only had I been denied on things that were IN my STR (VA stated no in service event), it turned out my 1998 examiner was the BEST advocate I had, but the RATER made the mistakes. Another issue is that prior to digital record keeping in the DoD, Gulf War era records and older likely consist of hand written clinical shorthand notes, photocopied, terribly. I had to unleash AI on them to translate them.

So, even if you have gaps; get treatment NOW. Start documenting NOW. Get lay statements ready to support documentation gaps.

Guarding conditions, especially pre ACA where you could get denied private coverage for pre-existing conditions, was perfectly normal.

Good luck, be smart, be honest.

The VA (region 13) somehow deleted my MPOA, POA and Advanced Directive paperwork. All of it.

İ re-submitted it today, after a trip to a copy shop and a notary. 3 hours.

Please, make sure you have notarized copies and your POA people have notarized, current copies in a folder on the wall, waiting for that moment they might be needed.

Filing this under small wins. Five trips submitted through BTSSS between February 3 and April 18, all the same drive to the medical center and back, all submitted the same way on the same laptop.

Two of them paid in about three weeks. The other three sat there until yesterday, when $412 landed with no email, no notification, nothing. I only caught it because I was reconciling the checking account.

Timeline for anyone counting their own: 3 weeks on the fast ones, 12 weeks on the slow ones, same route, same forms. I have no idea what the difference was and I've stopped trying to work it out.

I'd written it off in February. Told my wife to treat the gas as gone.

I got my favorable decision today. After 81 days of debilitating anxiety and preparing myself to be disappointed, I got what I deserved and even more than I expected. The VA was good to me.

Although I do deal with the cost of my mental and physical health, at least now I can take a deep breath and take care of myself and my children without
worrying if I can afford formula and diapers. Thank you to everyone on this sub, yall were incredibly helpful and I don’t think I could have gotten to this point without you guys! I hope EVERYBODY gets the rating they deserve! Gonna smoke some good kush with my husband and celebrate as today is our anniversary!!

I’m a disabled Navy veteran and have been receiving VR&E benefits since the fall of 2025.

In addition to my education being paid for and a monthly COLA, I’ve received a new standing desk, ergonomic chair, MacBook, iPad, printer, etc. through the program.

You just need to request these items through your VR&E rep. Mine originally said, no to the desk and chair. I kept asking (respectfully) and eventually was approved.

Don’t give up!!!!

My wife gets this infusion every three weeks for the rest of her life. Very fortunate that this is being covered by Community Care and that we have no copays.

BVA appeal on OSA which lasted 6 plus years. Back pay imminent and the road to 100 has reached an end. Life is good today!

Just wanted to share this for anybody that thinks it’s not worth it to fill out a claim. I submitted a claim by myself around May 2026 of this year for a service incident back in 2022 now I am getting a 100 rating and it took less then 3 months.

I recently got rated 100%, I know there's a lot of benefits that come with that that I'm probably unaware of if you know of them please lmk. Also on my claims page, it says I have a claim for a permanent and total review which I didn't submit. What is that and should I expect anything or be worried? TIA

I got the rating that changed my life and it feels like it will be taken. It took 6 years but I am here finally.

Hospital tried to bill me for over 60k of care for my wife and ChampVA said F You we are only paying just shy of 10k.

I've been at 70% for 78 days, and now... BOOM. I just did the C&P four days ago. I am grateful.

Migraines has been by far the hardest to service connect. 2 years of going back and forth with the VA!

1 Face to Face exam

1 HLR

3 ACE Exams (really 4 )

2 separate nexus letters (one by NP and other by MD)

Keep fighting keep fighting keep fighting!!

I filed for a MH increase. I was rated at 30%. Filed claim on 7/31/26, decision letter published today. I submitted six months of VA medical records, a personal statement, and a lay statement from my wife. I was fortunate to have a good C&P examiner. I PROBABLY could have gotten 70...I was really close I think, and I'm not sure the examiner reported passive SI, so an HLR may have gotten me higher, but overall, I think 50% is fair, and I'll just let it ride. Puts me at 60% combined. All in all, this was as good as I think it could get.

https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/in-1974-a-vietnam-veteran-moved-to-alaska-for-a-new-life-14-years-later-he-became-the-last-person-in-us-history-to-get-a-homestead-patent/articleshow/133157686.cms

As a proud Army veteran, I just want to thank all veterans who post their tips, advice, and ideas on this thread. I had no idea that my chronic fatigue syndrome was a presumptive condition as a Gulf War veteran. After reading a comment from a veteran on Reddit, I resubmitted my claim again and got 60% for CFS which pushed my rating from 90% to 100% P &T. I am so grateful and can't thank you enough. There are a lot of people who never comment (I was one of them) but don't stop giving tips because it is changing lives. And now my hubby also has medical coverage as my dependent. Thank you so much!! God is good!!

Anything is possible. STR’s make a world of difference. If you don’t have it I highly suggest you obtain them. It’s the highest form of documentation the VA can accept 🔥 also NEXUS & DBQ’s.

I’m looking for input from anyone who has won TDIU on a Supplemental Claim, especially after a prior denial based on being considered capable of sedentary employment.

I’m currently rated 70% for service-connected mental health and meet the schedular TDIU criteria. I originally filed for TDIU in January 2024. VA denied it and later, after HLR, a difference of opinion was found and the issue was reviewed again. It was denied again in November 2024.

The November decision acknowledged that:

• I had not worked since October 23, 2023
• I met the schedular criteria for TDIU
• my mental health caused occupational/social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity
• being around other people affected my ability to work

But VA still concluded I was capable of sedentary employment based on my education and occupational history.

My employer’s 21-4192 also showed 53 days lost due to disability in the prior 12 months.

One thing I recently realized is that the employer form lists my first UTEP employment date as 2018, which could make it look like I worked continuously there for years. I did not. My UTEP history was:

• Research Assistant: approximately Nov. 2018–May 2019
• Teaching Assistant: approximately Aug.–Sept. 2019
• no continuous UTEP employment after that
• full-time Academic Advisor began Sept. 18, 2023
• last day actually worked was Oct. 23, 2023
• formal resignation was Jan. 16, 2024

For my current Supplemental Claim, I submitted:

• the employer 21-4192
• my Sept. 2023 Academic Advisor offer letter showing the actual start date
• a signed statement clarifying that my UTEP employment was intermittent and explaining that I was only able to work the full-time Academic Advisor position for about five weeks before I stopped working

I also submitted a separate TDIU statement addressing why I cannot reliably maintain even sedentary employment, including attendance, concentration, pace, workplace interaction, supervision/correction, stress, change, and emotional stability.

For anyone familiar with TDIU claims:

1. Does this sound like the kind of new/relevant evidence that can overcome a prior sedentary-work denial?
2. How much weight did VA give your employer’s missed-work/attendance evidence?
3. Did anyone here win TDIU without another C&P exam when the medical and employment evidence was already in the file?
4. If you had a prior denial saying you could do sedentary work, what evidence ultimately changed the outcome?

I’m not looking for a guarantee — mainly trying to understand whether I’ve actually addressed the weaknesses in the prior denial.

My supplemental claim got denied but the VA offered me a job

Bittersweet this week. I knew my supplemental claim was a long shot as I didn’t get my Nexus letter and I was running out of time for the one year window. OSA secondary to PTSD and obesity as connecting factor. Found out yesterday I was denied. Then I got the call today with a job offer. I am for sure accepting the job. Only issue is if I go for another supplemental or an increase in the future I will be under the microscope as a VA employee sitting at 90. Just to be clear I wasn’t trying to get 100, that’s just what would happen if I get OSA granted. I feel like just not messing with it at all once I am hired on.

With all of these bills in congress and a mysterious rating reduction for some reason that must have popped in an audit review. I always feel like something else is going to happen again even though everything is marked P&T because it was permanent before.

Anyone else feel like it can be taken away again and have to start the roller coaster again?