At Coskrey Law, we understand that our VA disability benefits clients in Georgia and elsewhere have not only earned their benefits. Because their service-connected condition impacts their ability to work, they often need these benefits to help make ends meet for themselves and their families. Time is of the essence in having their claims approved, and so it is natural for them to wonder how long the VA disability claim process can take.
As understandable as this question is, there is no clear-cut answer. If your claim is approved without the need for an appeal, benefits may start to come within a few weeks. However, if your claim is one of the approximately 60 percent that will be initially denied, it can take months before your claim is approved and you begin receiving benefits. Some veterans can wait years in order for their claim to be eventually approved after several levels of appeals.
Factors that Impact How Long Your Claim Will Take
When trying to gauge how long it will take before your VA disability benefits begin to come in, there are numerous factors that should be considered. Some of the more important ones include:
- The strength of your initial claim and its supporting evidence
- The volume of claims being considered by the VA
- The complexity of your claim and the conditions for which you seek benefits
- How quickly you respond and take action if your claim is denied
- How many different appeals you must go through before your claim is approved
While there are some factors that are beyond your control – you cannot control how many claims the VA is processing at any given time, for example – there are two significant things you do have control over in the process:
How Supported Your Claim is by Evidence
The more persuasive and compelling medical evidence you submit or identify for the VA, the easier it will be for the VA to approve your claim. Conversely, if you fail to provide documents that show a service connection between your condition and your military service, or if records are missing from your VA claim file, your case will take longer because one or more appeals will likely need to be taken.
Your Strategy Once Your Claim is Denied
Statistics suggest that your claim is more likely to be denied initially than it is to be approved. The steps you take after the denial matter greatly in resolving your claim quickly. If you understand why your claim was denied, you can select the right appeal avenue and get approved more quickly than if you tried a method not well-suited to your case.
For example, perhaps you omitted certain crucial evidence from your claim. Filing a Supplemental Claim should resolve your situation within a matter of weeks. Conversely, if you filed a Higher Level Review first, you would need to wait several weeks for this review to be completed before then moving on and attempting another form of appeal.
Coskrey Law Helps Georgia Veterans Get Benefits
At Coskrey Law, we are committed to helping you resolve your VA disability claim quickly. No matter where you are at in the process or how many times you have been denied, we can help. Call us at (706) 303-1802, e-mail us at coskrey@gmail.com, or visit our website to request a consultation with us today.