Not Getting SMS Alerts? Check Availability First
A missing text does not always mean your phone is misconfigured. Claim Raven must first have an active producer for the specific event, then your SMS setting, verified U.S. number, provider connection, consent status, and any action-specific access or usage limit must allow an attempt. The checked product does not currently have a general producer for claim phase, decision, rating, payment, exam, hearing, or weekly-summary texts. Check VA.gov and every VA notice directly; never wait for an SMS before protecting a date or completing a required action.
Overview
A missing SMS does not extend a deadline Silence from Claim Raven does not show that VA has taken no action. A text can be unavailable, never attempted, rejected, filtered, delayed, or delivered to a device you are not watching. The complete VA notice and current official record still control the task and date.
Start with the event, not the phone
General claim events: The checked product has no general SMS producer for claim phases, receipt or closure, evidence requests, decisions, ratings, payments, C&P exams, hearings, or weekly summaries. A visible preference is not proof that a text will be created. Appeal, docket, or hearing events: Claim Raven forces these preferences off when live appeal sync is unavailable. Do not wait for an appeal-related text. Narrow document-status events: A historical document path can attempt an SMS when its specific producer, preference, verified channel, provider, and any applicable usage rule are available. This does not confirm official VA receipt. Test messages: A successful test checks one channel at one moment. It does not prove that an event detector exists or that a future text will arrive. Dashboard refresh: The checked claim-sync route does not create a general alert queue. Logging in does not guarantee that missed events will be turned into texts.
Check the SMS channel
Check the official record first Open VA's claim, decision review, or appeal status tool for a supported matter and read every complete notice. Use the notice's instructions for a matter the tool does not cover. Review the specific event Confirm that Claim Raven currently produces that event instead of relying on the presence of a toggle. If the setting is disabled or described as unavailable, no SMS should be expected. Review the current Settings page Confirm that SMS is enabled, the U.S. number matches the number you control, verification is complete, and the page does not report a provider or access problem. Changing the stored number can require verification again. Check the phone and carrier path Confirm service, signal, storage, blocked senders, spam filtering, device focus modes, and carrier restrictions. A provider can accept a message even when the destination phone or carrier does not deliver it. Use opt-in instructions carefully If you previously opted out, follow the sender-specific reply shown in the original message. Twilio documents STOP-family blocking and START or UNSTOP re-opt-in behavior, but the exact result can depend on sender type and configuration. Do not text credentials, codes, claim facts, or identifiers. Share only non-sensitive troubleshooting details For a Claim Raven settings problem, provide the page name, approximate time, channel, and non-sensitive error text. Do not send the phone number, message body, password, multifactor code, VA identifier, notice, medical record, or unredacted screenshot. Sent is not the same as delivered or read Messaging systems can distinguish states such as queued, sent, delivered, failed, or undelivered when the application has configured the required status handling. None of those states proves that you saw, understood, or acted on a text, and the checked Claim Raven helpers do not promise a retry or fixed delivery time.
Match the symptom to the next check
Match the symptom to the next check The event toggle is visible, but no text arrived. Check VA.gov and the newest notice immediately. Confirm that the specific event has an active producer, not only a preference. Review SMS enablement, phone verification, provider availability, and any action-specific access or usage message. Treat the alert as unavailable until the product confirms both the event and the channel; keep using the official source directly. Phone verification or the test action fails. Confirm that the page reports SMS as available. Enter the U.S. number in the requested format and complete the current verification flow. Wait for any displayed rate limit instead of repeatedly requesting codes. Use another independently available channel and continue checking official records. Never send a verification code to support. You previously replied STOP. Use the same sender shown in the original Claim Raven message. Review the sender's stated opt-in instruction; START or UNSTOP may apply depending on sender type and configuration. Wait for the confirmation before assuming consent changed. Re-enabling consent only removes one delivery block. It does not activate a missing event producer or guarantee a future message. A Claim Raven text conflicts with VA.gov or a notice. Match the exact claim, review, appeal, document, and date. Read the full notice rather than relying on a message preview. Contact VA through a current official channel or work with a VA-accredited representative if the difference matters. Use VA.gov and the controlling notice as authoritative; keep the text only as a dated troubleshooting record. For a Claim Raven settings problem, contact support with the page name, approximate time, channel, and non-sensitive error text. Do not include a phone number, message content, password, code, VA identifier, notice, medical record, or unredacted screenshot.
Current VA status and messaging sources
Current VA status and messaging sources VA: Check your claim, decision review, or appeal status https://www.va.gov/claim-or-appeal-status/ Twilio: Debugging common SMS issues https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/guides/debugging-common-issues Twilio: Advanced opt-out and opt-in behavior https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/tutorials/advanced-opt-out Twilio: Outbound message status callbacks https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/guides/outbound-message-status-in-status-callbacks
Related alert and privacy guidance
Related alert and privacy guidance Understand which Claim Raven alerts are conditional /help-center/notifications-and-alerts/feature-claim-status-alerts Understand phone-number and carrier limits /help-center/notifications-and-alerts/faq-sms-carriers Compare email and SMS without assuming delivery /help-center/notifications-and-alerts/faq-email-vs-sms Protect information that may appear in an alert /help-center/notifications-and-alerts/faq-sensitive-info-in-alerts Keep personal records and support requests safe /help-center/privacy-and-security/feature-data-protection
More information
Check the official VA status Use VA's current status tool for supported matters and read every complete notice. Do not wait for a Claim Raven text. Open the VA status tool https://www.va.gov/claim-or-appeal-status/