appeals

As of July 11, the Board has issued more than 64,025 decisions for fiscal year 2018, a record high tied to several efficiency innovations, including a new interactive decision template and a specialty case team, which have allowed the Board to serve more Veterans.

As of May 27, the Board of Veterans Appeals has signed more than 53,650 decisions in fiscal year (FY) 2018, which is approximately 86 percent more than the 28,839 decisions signed through the same period last year.

Now, all Veterans with a pending disability compensation appeal can choose to participate in the new decision review process.

RAMP will provide expanded opportunities for Veterans to enter the new, more efficient claims review process outlined in the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, which was signed into law by President Trump on August 23.

Our secretary has called upon Veterans service organizations, members of Congress and others to meet with us to figure out how we can deliver you the timely, fair appeals process you deserve.

Appeals are remanded for many reasons...if there has been a change in law, a worsening of a disability on appeal, the Veteran introduces new evidence or theory of entitlement at the Board or if the regional office did not process your claim correctly.

There is a perception that a lot of the regional offices’ decisions are appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. This is not accurate. Historically, only 4 percent of all claims the Veterans Benefits Administration decides are appealed to the board.

Once a VA office issues its decision on your claim, you have one year from that date to file an appeal. Read the decision letter closely: it will tell you why VA made the decision it did.