Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This section defines important claim statuses, including what makes an application complete and when a claim is pending or finally adjudicated. It also distinguishes categories such as initial and supplemental claims.
Status affects which process may be available and which dates matter. A claim shown as closed in an online view should still be understood through the actual decision and applicable review rules.
How this helps your claim
This helps you read the procedural language in a VA letter. Match the definition to the filed application, notice, and subsequent review actions rather than relying only on a dashboard label.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Locate the application and any notice that it was incomplete.
- Find the decision notice and records of any timely review action.
- Compare the claimed status with the definition and procedural history.
Use the decision history to understand status
A status label describes where a claim sits in a legal process, not simply whether an online task appears finished. An application can be incomplete, pending or finally adjudicated for reasons that require the notices and filing history to understand.
List each application, decision and review request by issue and date. Different conditions in the same account can be at different stages. This avoids assuming that a closed entry for one issue means every related matter is final or that every later submission begins an entirely new claim.
Does an online closed label explain my review options?
Not completely. The decision notice and applicable review rules provide the necessary context. Use the online status as a prompt to locate those documents. Whether a filing is an initial claim, Supplemental Claim or another action depends on the actual procedural history.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.160
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.160 Status of claims.
(a) Complete claim. A submission of an application form prescribed by the Secretary, whether paper or electronic, that meets the following requirements:
(1) A complete claim must provide the name of the claimant; the relationship to the veteran, if applicable; and sufficient information for VA to verify the claimed service, if applicable.
(2) A complete claim must be signed by the claimant or a person legally authorized to sign for the claimant.
(3) A complete claim must identify the benefit sought.
(4) A description of any symptom(s) or medical condition(s) on which the benefit is based must be provided to the extent the form prescribed by the Secretary so requires.
(5) For nonservice-connected disability or survivors pension and parents' dependency and indemnity compensation claims, a statement of income must be provided to the extent the form prescribed by the Secretary so requires; and
(6) For supplemental claims, potentially new evidence must be identified or included.
(b) Original claim. The initial complete claim for one or more benefits on an application form prescribed by the Secretary.
(c) Pending claim. A claim which has not been finally adjudicated.
(d) Finally adjudicated claim. A claim that is adjudicated by the Department of Veterans Affairs as either allowed or disallowed is considered finally adjudicated when:
(1) For legacy claims not subject to the modernized review system, whichever of the following occurs first:
(i) The expiration of the period in which to file a Notice of Disagreement, pursuant to the provisions of § 19.52(a) or § 20.502(a) of this chapter, as applicable; or
(ii) Disposition on appellate review.
(2) For claims under the modernized review system, the expiration of the period in which to file a review option available under § 3.2500 or disposition on judicial review where no such review option is available.
(e) Reopened claims prior to effective date of modernized review system. An application for a benefit received prior to the effective date provided in § 19.2(a) of this chapter, after final disallowance of an earlier claim that is subject to readjudication on the merits based on receipt of new and material evidence related to the finally adjudicated claim, or any claim based on additional evidence or a request for a personal hearing submitted more than 90 days following notification to the appellant of the certification of an appeal and transfer of applicable records to the Board of Veterans' Appeals which was not considered by the Board in its decision and was referred to the agency of original jurisdiction for consideration as provided in § 20.1304(b)(1) of this chapter. As of the effective date provided in § 19.2(a) of this chapter, claimants may no longer file to reopen a claim, but may file a supplemental claim as prescribed in § 3.2501 to apply for a previously disallowed benefit. A request to reopen a finally decided claim that has not been adjudicated as of the effective date will be processed as a supplemental claim subject to the modernized review system.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501)
[27 FR 11887, Dec. 1, 1962, as amended at 31 FR 12056, Sept. 15, 1966; 55 FR 20148, May 15, 1990; 58 FR 32445, June 10, 1993; 79 FR 57696, Sept. 25, 2014; 84 FR 170, Jan. 18, 2019]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 19.52: Legacy Appeal Deadlines Explained
- 38 CFR § 3.2500: VA Decision Review Options and Continuous Pursuit
- 38 CFR § 19.2: Legacy Appeals and Opting Into Modernized Review
- 38 CFR § 3.2501: Supplemental Claims and New and Relevant Evidence
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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