VA Claim Denied: Your Three Review Options and Deadlines

Last reviewed: October 2026. Based on VA's decision reviews pages and 38 CFR 3.2500.

A denial, or a rating lower than you expected, is not the end. Since February 19, 2019, VA has offered three review lanes for most decisions. Picking the right one, and filing within one year of the date on your decision letter, matters more than anything else you do next. YourVABenefits is independent and is not part of VA. You file on VA.gov, or an accredited representative files with you.

What are my options if VA denied my claim?

You have three choices. Each one is a different kind of second look.

Lane	Form	New evidence?	When to file	VA's published timeline
Supplemental Claim	VA Form 20-0995	Required (new and relevant), or name records for VA to get	Any time; within 1 year keeps your effective date	Average 58.7 days in August 2026; goal 125 days
Higher-Level Review	VA Form 20-0996	Not allowed	Within 1 year of the decision	Goal: average 125 days
Board Appeal, Direct Review	VA Form 10182	Not allowed	Within 1 year of the decision	Goal: 365 days
Board Appeal, Evidence Submission	VA Form 10182	Yes, with the appeal or within 90 days	Within 1 year of the decision	Goal: 550 days
Board Appeal, Hearing	VA Form 10182	Yes, at the hearing or within 90 days after	Within 1 year of the decision	Goal: 730 days

Times are VA's own published averages and goals, read on VA.gov in October 2026. Your case may take more or less time.

What is a Supplemental Claim?

A Supplemental Claim asks VA to decide the issue again with evidence it did not have before. VA calls this "new and relevant" evidence. New means VA has not considered it. Relevant means it helps prove or disprove something in your claim.

Common examples are a nexus letter from a clinician, new treatment records, or a buddy statement from someone who saw what happened. VA's own page uses a new medical report and a buddy statement as its two examples. You can also name records you want VA to gather, such as private or VA treatment records.

A Supplemental Claim is also the lane for a condition that became presumptive after a change in law, such as the PACT Act. In that case you do not need new evidence on the link to service.

If your condition is already service-connected and has gotten worse, that is not a Supplemental Claim. File a claim for increased disability compensation instead.

What is a Higher-Level Review?

A senior reviewer looks at the same evidence VA already had and decides whether an error or a difference of opinion changes the result. You cannot add evidence. This lane fits when the evidence was already there and VA misread it, missed it, or applied the rating rules wrong.

You may ask for one informal conference, a phone call where you or your representative point out the error. VA says it is optional and may make the review take longer. VA suggests a written statement with your request as another way to explain the error. If the reviewer finds VA failed to help you get evidence it should have, VA will gather it and decide again.

What is a Board Appeal?

A Board Appeal sends your case to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You pick one of three dockets on VA Form 10182: Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or Hearing. Hearings can be virtual, by video at a VA location, or in person in Washington, D.C., at your own travel cost.

You cannot file two Board Appeals in a row on the same claim. If the Board denies you, you can file a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, or appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims within 120 days.

How do I protect my effective date?

Your effective date sets how far back VA pays. Under 38 CFR 3.2500(h), if you keep filing a review within one year of each decision, VA treats the claim as continuously pursued and keeps the date tied to your original claim. If a Supplemental Claim arrives more than a year after the decision, the effective date can be no earlier than the date VA receives it.

That is the reason to act inside the year, even if you are still gathering evidence.

Step 1 — Read your decision letter closely

Find the date on the letter; your one-year clock starts there. Then find the reasons VA gave and the list of evidence it considered. A denial "because there is no link to service" points to a missing nexus opinion. A denial that ignores a record you sent points to an error.

Step 2 — See what VA saw

The letter summarizes the evidence, but your claims file shows the actual exam report and records. You can request your C-file with VA Form 20-10206. VA publishes no processing time for these requests, so do not let the deadline wait on it. An accredited representative you appoint can usually view your electronic file.

Step 3 — Match the problem to the lane

Missing evidence, such as no nexus opinion or no records for a key period, points to a Supplemental Claim. An error on the evidence VA already had points to a Higher-Level Review. A legal question, or a case where you want a judge to hear you, points to a Board Appeal. Our free decision review tool walks through the choice with your decision letter.

Step 4 — File before the one-year date

For disability compensation, you can file a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal online on VA.gov. You can also file by mail or in person, or have an accredited representative file with you. Keep a copy and the date you filed. A Veterans Service Organization (VSO) helps for free; find one with our VSO finder.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to appeal a VA claim denial? For a Higher-Level Review or Board Appeal, one year from the date on your decision letter. A Supplemental Claim can be filed at any time, but filing within one year keeps your original effective date.

Can I send new evidence with a Higher-Level Review? No. A Higher-Level Review uses only the evidence VA already had. If you have new evidence, a Supplemental Claim or a Board Appeal on the Evidence Submission or Hearing docket can take it.

Which review lane is fastest? VA's published numbers show a Supplemental Claim averaged 58.7 days in August 2026, with a goal of 125 days. Higher-Level Review also has a 125-day average goal. Board Appeal goals run from 365 to 730 days, depending on the docket. The fastest lane is only useful if it fits your problem.

Can I file a Supplemental Claim after a Higher-Level Review denies me? Yes. After a Higher-Level Review decision, you can file a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence or request a Board Appeal. Filing within one year keeps your effective date.

What if my condition got worse after VA rated it? That is a claim for increased compensation, not a decision review. VA's Supplemental Claim page says so directly.

What happens if I miss the one-year deadline? You can still file a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence. But if VA grants it, the effective date can be no earlier than the date VA received the Supplemental Claim, which may mean less back pay.

YourVABenefits does not file claims or represent veterans. For advice on your own case, talk to an accredited VSO.