Use the Evidence Dashboard without mistaking workflow for proof
Use the Evidence Dashboard to review available records, manage your own tasks, notice stale or limited analysis, and organize the next step. Dashboard status and progress describe Claim Raven workflow, not what VA has received or proven.
Overview
The Evidence Dashboard is a Claim Raven workspace for reviewing available record information, organizing tasks you control, and seeing which in-app steps may need attention. It cannot determine that your evidence is complete, that VA received a document, or that an issue is legally supported. Workflow status is not proof A processed record, linked task, completed milestone, or compiled-for-now checkpoint describes work inside Claim Raven. It is not proof of legal sufficiency, VA receipt, claim strength, filing readiness, or a likely outcome.
Read each dashboard area for its actual job
Evidence Dashboard areas and their limits Area Use it for Do not infer Record inventory Notice which records and processing states Claim Raven currently displays That every page was readable, every source is present, or VA has the same set Evidence tasks Accept, edit, complete, reopen, reject, or dispute a bounded task when the product offers that control That the task is a legal finding or that linking work proves the question is resolved Gap Analysis Review analysis associated with the decision letter you selected and refresh it when shown as stale That the analysis considered every record, task, statement, or possible issue in the workspace Progress Track Pathfinder milestones and veteran-controlled task work That an evidence standard is met or a claim is ready to file Compile for now Save a reversible workflow checkpoint and move forward with visible limitations That evidence collection is final or complete
A safe dashboard review sequence
Review record coverage Check each visible record's processing state and any limits. Keep originals and submission receipts outside the dashboard as the controlling proof of what you have and what you sent. The dashboard inventory is compared with your own source archive rather than treated as complete. Open one task at a time Read the exact question, source, condition, and requested action. Change, reject, or dispute the task when it does not accurately reflect your situation. Only accurate, useful tasks remain active. Control the task state yourself Mark work complete only when you have actually done the task you intended. A linked document or statement can support your organization without proving the underlying question. Task status reflects your work, not an automated legal conclusion. Confirm the selected decision letter Before relying on Gap Analysis, verify which decision letter is selected. Analysis tied to one letter should not be generalized to every record or every claim issue. The analysis stays attached to the source that defines its scope. Refresh stale analysis before later review If Pathfinder marks analysis as stale after relevant workspace changes, use the offered refresh before relying on it in a current Strategy Brief. Preserve a failed or partial refresh as a visible limit. Later work does not silently rely on an outdated analysis. Use compile for now as a checkpoint Move forward when that is useful while keeping unresolved and partial items visible. Return and revise the dashboard when new information arrives. Moving forward does not turn an unfinished inventory into a final evidence package. VA instructions and receipts remain separate Use the current VA notice and official instructions for what to submit, where to submit it, and any stated date. Preserve the exact submitted files and official confirmation. A Pathfinder status does not replace those records.
If the dashboard looks incomplete or stale
If the dashboard looks incomplete or stale A record is missing or has not finished processing Compare the dashboard with your original record archive Read the displayed processing or failure state Use an offered retry only when appropriate Do not mark the evidence question resolved solely because a file is listed Keep the missing or unfinished source visible as a limitation. Continue only with the information you can verify. Gap Analysis is marked stale or does not match the selected letter Confirm the decision letter selected in the workspace Check whether relevant workspace information changed Use the available refresh action Preserve any failure or partial state Do not carry the stale analysis into a current brief as if it were current. Refresh it or keep the limitation explicit. A task does not apply or states the question incorrectly Compare the task with its identified source Edit, reject, or dispute it when that control is available Keep your reason factual and bounded Do not create evidence just to satisfy a software prompt Leave only tasks that accurately describe work you choose to do. For a dashboard defect, contact support with a synthetic description of the status, screen area, and expected behavior. Do not attach private records or identifying claim information.
Official sources
Official sources VA: Evidence needed for your disability claim https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/ VA's duty to assist https://www.va.gov/resources/vas-duty-to-assist/
Related guidance
Related guidance Organize evidence without renaming everything /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-evidence-organization Turn an evidence gap into a small task /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-evidence-gap-task Review and verify your Strategy Brief /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-review-strategy-brief
More information
Return to your saved Evidence step Review the available records, task ownership, selected decision letter, and any stale or partial state. Returning resumes saved work and does not guarantee an exact screen. Return to Pathfinder /guided-program