VA claim denied or rated too low? Your one-year window is the money.
File the right review within one year of your decision letter and your back pay stays anchored to your original claim. Enter the date on your letter and get your fight plan: your window, your lane, and what your case is worth.
Your Fight Plan
VA Disability Compensation · 2026 rules
What date is on your denial letter?
It is printed at the top of the letter. Your appeal deadline is counted from that day, not from the day you read it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to appeal a VA disability denial?
One year from the date printed on your decision letter. Filing any of the three review lanes (Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal) inside that year preserves your original effective date, which is the date your back pay is calculated from. You can technically file a Supplemental Claim at any time, even years later, but filing late resets your back-pay clock to your new filing date.
What is the difference between a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board Appeal?
A Supplemental Claim (Form 20-0995) is for when you have NEW evidence: a nexus letter, a new diagnosis, buddy statements. A Higher-Level Review (Form 20-0996) is for when VA made an error with the evidence it already had. No new evidence is allowed. A Board Appeal (Form 10182) puts your case before a Veterans Law Judge. You can switch lanes after an unfavorable result, and each new decision opens a fresh one-year window.
Can appealing get my VA rating reduced?
Mostly a myth. A review cannot lower your rating simply because a new reviewer disagrees with the old one. The genuine risk is a new C&P exam when you file for an increase. If it shows real, sustained improvement, VA can separately propose a reduction, and even then you get advance notice and a chance to contest it. Long-held ratings have extra protection: a rating in place 20 or more years cannot be reduced at all except for fraud.
What are the chances of winning a VA appeal?
Better than most veterans think. At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, about 1 in 4 issues is granted outright and about 1 in 3 is remanded for another round of development, meaning roughly 58% of issues do not end in denial (FY2024 Board data). And many denials get fixed earlier, at the Regional Office, with one new piece of evidence like a nexus letter.
How much does a VA disability appeal lawyer cost?
Accredited Veterans Service Officers (DAV, VFW, American Legion, county VSOs) represent you for free. Attorneys and claims agents may only charge after VA's initial decision, on contingency, and federal law caps the fee at 20% of your past-due benefits. At the Veterans Court (CAVC), representation is usually free out-of-pocket because the government pays attorney fees when you win a remand.