The question of how long does the VA appeals process take is one that I hear all the time from veterans. It can be a bit mind-boggling when you have been turned down for disability benefits and don’t know what to do next. I recently had an experience that will make this question a bit easier to answer. I was appealing the denial of my claims for injury compensation and the Appeals Division’s hearing officer told me that the initial decision would be made by the Associate Appeals Counsel. This pleased me, as I knew that at least something would be done to help me appeal the denial of my claim. Unfortunately, this didn’t do much to ease my concern as my appeal came to a screeching halt with the rest of the appeals process.
I started to get worried when I started to hear – that the actual decision date was still several months away. When I asked my advisor about how long the appeals process takes, he told me that it varies depending on the type of claim involved. The number one factor that affects how long it takes to process a claim is the claim decision date.
If you have filed a complete appeal with the Department of Veterans Affairs – you should be able to get a decision on your appeal within 30 days. If you were forced to file an incomplete appeal, or failed to include any additional relevant information, it can take much longer for the appeal to go through the administrative process and be approved. My appeal took about three months to make it through all of the appeals process and I’m happy to have it now and can finally return to living a normal life.
When you are dealing with a bureaucracy as large and involved as the Veterans Affairs – it can take years before you receive any decision on your appeal. On average, I have seen claims take up to six years to go through all of the administrative hurdles and finally have an appeal approved. This can be very problematic to those who need to go through the appeals process quickly, but if you have a strong case and want to go through the process as fast as possible, it is vital to know how long does the va appeals process take.
The answer to the question “how long does the va appeals process take?” – can only be given by the person who is doing all of the work. There are many different factors that can affect how long it takes. One important factor is how quickly the appeal moves through the system. The more complex the case, the more time it can take to process the appeal. A simple case with no extra information to interpret can move through the system much faster than a more complex claim.
Another factor that can determine: how long the appeals process takes is how many administrative steps are involved. Each step in the appeals process adds time to the process. If the case has multiple parts to go through, it can take a lot longer. There can be appeals made in one court, in state court, and even in federal court.
There can also be motions tried in different courts, and this can all add to the time it takes.