The decision packet is your map for what VA decided, the evidence it used, and what you can do next. It may include a notification letter, rating decision, and attachments such as a code sheet. Download every page from the claim-status tool, keep the envelope or electronic date, and compare the packet with the issues you actually claimed.

Check every issue

Make a table with one row for each claimed condition or theory. Record whether VA granted, denied, deferred, or did not address it. A deferred issue is still pending and should not be treated as a denial. If VA granted service connection, record the diagnostic code, percentage, effective date, and whether the decision mentions static status, future exams, Permanent and Total status, Special Monthly Compensation, or dependent benefits. A service-connected condition can be rated at 0 percent; that is still a grant and may affect future claims. Use Chapter 9: Effective Dates and Back Pay and Chapter 10: Understanding the Rating System to check the calculations.

Read the evidence and favorable findings

The evidence list identifies records, examinations, statements, and other material the adjudicator considered. Check that important submissions appear and that dates and providers are correct. The favorable findings section may state that VA accepted a current diagnosis, an in-service event, qualifying service, or another element. Under 38 CFR § 3.104(c), a favorable finding is generally binding on later adjudicators unless the clear-and-unmistakable-error exception applies. Preserve the exact wording; an appeal or Supplemental Claim should build on what VA already conceded rather than re-prove it unnecessarily.

The Reasons for Decision section (sometimes labeled Reasons and Bases) explains why each issue was granted, denied, or assigned a particular percentage. For a denial, identify which element VA found missing: current disability, in-service event, nexus, qualifying service, or a rating-specific requirement. For a low rating, compare the cited symptoms and functional findings with the applicable diagnostic code and the entire period on appeal. For an effective-date dispute, compare the date of claim, any Intent to File, the facts showing when entitlement arose, and the rule VA cited. Do not rely on a summary sentence; read the evidence, analysis, and conclusion together.

Diagnostic code, rating, and payment details

Confirm the diagnostic code and the version of the rating criteria used. VA's combined rating is not the arithmetic sum of individual percentages; see the VA disability calculator and the rating chapter. Check the effective date, commencement date, monthly amount, dependent category, and whether a separate entitlement such as SMC or TDIU was addressed. A code sheet may show each condition's code, percentage, effective date, and future-exam or static notation. If it was not included, request the claims file with C-File ordering or ask an accredited representative for the document. Do not assume “100 percent” automatically means Permanent and Total.

Review choices and deadlines

If you disagree, the usual decision-review options are:

  • Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995): submit new and relevant evidence. This can be useful when a missing record, medical opinion, or lay statement addresses the reason for denial.
  • Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996): ask a more senior reviewer to review the existing record and identify an error. New evidence generally is not allowed, and an informal conference is optional.
  • Board Appeal (VA Form 10182): ask the Board of Veterans' Appeals for Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or a Hearing docket. Select the docket deliberately because evidence and hearing rules differ.

For most compensation decisions, request a review within one year of the date on the decision notice to preserve the earliest possible effective date. The exact rule and exceptions depend on the benefit and decision type. A Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) motion is a separate, high-standard challenge to a final decision and is not a substitute for an ordinary review request. See Chapter 16: Appeals and Review Options, the decision-review pages, and the current form instructions before sending anything. Keep proof of submission.

A practical next-step workflow

  1. Download the complete packet and mark the notice date.
  2. Compare every issue and evidence item with your claim file; use Raven Scan for organization, then verify the original pages.
  3. Copy each favorable finding and the exact reason for every denial or rating.
  4. Check the diagnostic code, effective date, combined rating, and code sheet.
  5. Choose the review lane based on the error and whether you have new and relevant evidence. Pathfinder and Gap Analysis can help organize questions, but they do not select a legal strategy or guarantee an outcome.
  6. Calendar the one-year deadline and submit the correct form or obtain accredited help. Do not wait for a tool to “score” the decision.

Official sources