Can the VA take away service connection?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can take away your disability rating if it determines you received your rating fraudulently, or if it determines it made a “clear and unmistakable error” when issuing your rating.

How long does a Notice of Disagreement take with the VA?

How long does it take VA to make a decision? It depends. The Veterans Benefits Administration usually takes 12-18 months to review new appeals and decide whether to grant some or all of the appeal.

How do I fill out a VA notice of disagreement?

These documents should explain, issue-by-issue, why you received your rating, and what is needed for the next higher rating. It should also explain what the effective date is and why. If VA did not service connect your requested condition, the decision letter explains why the condition was not service connected.

What percentage of VA remands are approved?

Veterans represented by attorneys saw the best results: 40.9% of their cases allowed. 38.5% remanded.

What is the VA 20 year rule?

VA’s Disability 20-Year Rule: Continuous Ratings Service-connected conditions rated at or above a certain disability rating for 20 years or more are considered continuous. According to the VA 20-year rule, VA cannot reduce a continuous rating below its original disability rating unless the rating was based on fraud.

How long does it take a VA judge to make a decision after hearing?

Generally, the veterans law judge will wait a least 90 days after the hearing to provide their decision. This allows time for submission of any additional evidence if the veteran chooses to do so.

What is a VA notice of disagreement?

A Notice of Disagreement (NOD) is a formal statement letting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) know you disagree with its decision on your disability claim. When you apply for disability benefits, the VA sends you a letter with its decision.

How long does it take for a veterans law judge to make a decision Reddit?

From the time a veteran files his formal appeal (Form 9) until the VA certifies the case to the Board, the average wait time is 609 days. And then the veteran can expect another 212 days, on average, for the Board to make a decision.

How long does a VA remanded appeal take 2020?

Veterans can expect to receive a decision within 68 and 82 days for the first or second appeal options, respectively.

What is the 55 year rule for VA disability?

What is the VA 55 year old rule? Veterans are protected from rating reductions if they are over the age of 55. Here’s an example of how a veteran is “protected” from a VA reevaluation for PTSD: Scenario: A Veteran born on March 7, 1963, claims a VA PTSD increase from 50 to 70, which is currently rated at 50%.

When to file a notice of disagreement with the VA?

For old decisions, you had to have filed a Notice of Disagreement (VA Form 21-0958) within one year of the date on your claim decision letter. This VA form is no longer in use, and new appeals are no longer accepted using this legacy appeals process.

What is the VA Form 21-0958 notice of disagreement?

Claimants now must use the VA Form 21-0958, which is a form Notice of Disagreement. As a veterans disability lawyer I have significant concerns over VA’s requirement that a veteran use a specific form to start a VA appeal.

What happens if I disagree with the VA Board’s decision?

If you disagree with the Board’s decision, you can appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. You’ll need to hire a VA-accredited attorney to represent you, or you may represent yourself.

How do you write a letter of disagreement for VA benefits?

Before the adoption of the new VA form NOD, veterans benefits lawyers always recommended that a veteran write, “NOTICE OF DISAGREEMENT” in bold letters at the top of the correspondence. We still recommend sending your NOD form with a cover letter that is labeled as “Notice of Disagreement.”