VA appeal success rates by issue how the Board ruled on every kind of VA claim, with a guide for each
At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, 24.7% of 1,241,238 decided rulings from 2021 to 2026 were grants, 45.3% were sent back to VA and 30.0% were denied. The rate depends on what the appeal asked for: from 3.2% for caregiver program to 43.4% for special monthly compensation.
- 1,241,238decided Board rulings, 2021 to 2026
- 24.7%granted across every issue
- 45.3%sent back to VA (remanded)
- 30kinds of VA claims with their own figures
Claim Raven's analysis of Board of Veterans' Appeals rulings, 2021 to 2026. Every figure is computed from the decisions; dismissed and withdrawn appeals are left out.
On this page
VA appeal success rates by issue
How the Board ruled on each kind of VA claim, 2021 to 2026. Granted, sent back and denied are shares of decided rulings; dismissed and withdrawn appeals are left out. Issues with a Claim Raven guide link to it.
| What the appeal asked for | Decided rulings | Granted | Sent back | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service connection | 659,729 | 21.4% | 55.5% | 23.1% |
| A higher rating | 326,346 | 20.5% | 37.0% | 42.5% |
| An earlier effective date | 76,367 | 37.1% | 13.2% | 49.7% |
| TDIU (individual unemployability) | 59,729 | 30.2% | 51.0% | 18.8% |
| Reopening a denied claim | 36,418 | 73.9% | 8.5% | 17.6% |
| Special monthly compensation | 15,909 | 43.4% | 32.2% | 24.4% |
| Cause of death and DIC | 9,310 | 23.5% | 44.4% | 32.2% |
| A rating VA reduced | 7,393 | 68.7% | 15.7% | 15.6% |
| Section 1151 (harm from VA care) | 5,753 | 7.5% | 62.7% | 29.7% |
| Accrued benefits | 4,959 | 21.4% | 34.6% | 44.0% |
| Reimbursement for outside medical care | 4,811 | 21.5% | 44.1% | 34.3% |
| Education benefits | 4,618 | 38.1% | 27.1% | 34.8% |
| Caregiver program | 4,305 | 3.2% | 83.7% | 13.1% |
| Clear and unmistakable error (CUE) | 2,924 | 10.9% | 19.1% | 70.0% |
| Waiving an overpayment debt | 2,571 | 22.9% | 50.3% | 26.8% |
| Attorney fees | 1,964 | 51.3% | 13.2% | 35.5% |
| Whether an overpayment is valid | 1,887 | 17.3% | 49.8% | 32.9% |
| Clothing allowance | 1,841 | 39.0% | 26.4% | 34.6% |
| Service connection VA ended (severance) | 1,678 | 56.9% | 16.9% | 26.2% |
| Veterans pension | 1,587 | 12.9% | 33.6% | 53.5% |
| Specially adapted housing | 1,511 | 15.8% | 38.8% | 45.4% |
| Adding a dependent | 1,420 | 29.2% | 23.6% | 47.3% |
| Character of discharge | 1,242 | 19.0% | 62.6% | 18.4% |
| Apportionment | 1,062 | 25.3% | 40.7% | 34.0% |
| Burial benefits | 1,039 | 17.9% | 20.5% | 61.6% |
| Survivors pension | 857 | 8.3% | 30.1% | 61.6% |
| Automobile allowance and adaptive equipment | 706 | 25.6% | 37.4% | 37.0% |
| Vocational rehabilitation (VR&E) | 626 | 9.7% | 34.5% | 55.8% |
| Surviving spouse status | 483 | 27.5% | 26.9% | 45.5% |
| Competency to handle VA funds | 134 | 12.7% | 44.0% | 43.3% |
Guides for each legal issue
Each guide explains the rules for one issue, from the regulation itself, and what the Board's decisions on it show.
- An earlier effective date37.1% granted of 76,367 decided rulings
- TDIU (individual unemployability)30.2% granted of 59,729 decided rulings
- Reopening a denied claim73.9% granted of 36,418 decided rulings
- Special monthly compensation43.4% granted of 15,909 decided rulings
- Cause of death and DIC23.5% granted of 9,310 decided rulings
- A rating VA reduced68.7% granted of 7,393 decided rulings
- Section 1151 (harm from VA care)7.5% granted of 5,753 decided rulings
- Clothing allowance39.0% granted of 1,841 decided rulings
- Service connection VA ended (severance)56.9% granted of 1,678 decided rulings
- What happens after a VA remandwhat remanded means and how often remands end in a grant
Original research
What the Board's numbers show
Across every issue, the Board granted 24.7% of 1,241,238 decided rulings from 2021 to 2026, denied 30.0% and sent 45.3% back to VA. When it made a final call, it granted 45.1%.
- Highest grant rates for a benefit (issues with 1,000 or more decided rulings): special monthly compensation 43.4%, clothing allowance 39.0%, education benefits 38.1%.
- Lowest: caregiver program 3.2%, section 1151 (harm from VA care) 7.5%, clear and unmistakable error (CUE) 10.9%.
- Appeals against something VA took away or wouldn't reopen win most often: reopening a denied claim 73.9%, a rating VA reduced 68.7%, service connection VA ended (severance) 56.9%. A grant there restores the rating or service connection, or reopens the claim, rather than awarding a new benefit.
- Most often sent back: caregiver program, remanded in 83.7% of decided rulings. Read what happens after a VA remand.
- The current system does better. Appeals under the Appeals Modernization Act were granted 27.9% of the time and sent back 38.8%, against 20.9% and 52.7% for legacy appeals.
Every issue at the Board, by year
Share of decided Board rulings granted, sent back and denied each year.
- 21.6% granted, 48.6% sent back, 29.8% denied
- 22.9% granted, 50.2% sent back, 26.9% denied
- 22.8% granted, 50.0% sent back, 27.2% denied
- 25.1% granted, 44.6% sent back, 30.3% denied
- 25.4% granted, 40.3% sent back, 34.2% denied
- 29.8% granted, 37.5% sent back, 32.7% denied
Source: Claim Raven analysis of Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions. Dismissed and withdrawn appeals are left out.
Every issue: grant rate by Board docket
Appeals under the current system (AMA), 2021 to 2026. Granted out of every decided ruling, remands included.
Source: Claim Raven analysis of Board decisions. What went together, not proof that a docket caused a result: veterans with new evidence tend to pick the evidence docket.
Grant rate by what the appeal asked for
Issues with 1,000 or more decided rulings, 2021 to 2026. Granted out of every decided ruling, remands included.
Source: Claim Raven analysis of Board decisions. Appeals, not VA's first decisions.
Before you appeal: what these rates can and can't tell you
- They are appeals. Every ruling here is one VA had already denied or that was in dispute, so these rates describe the Board, not your chance at VA's first decision.
- The evidence decides your case. Within every issue, the grant rate swings with what the Board relied on most. Each guide shows that for its issue.
- The review lane matters. You have one year from a VA decision to choose a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review or a Board appeal. Compare them with the Appeals Advisor, and see VA's own numbers for the first two on VA decision review statistics.
- Condition matters too. For Board outcomes by condition, see VA disability statistics and the conditions library.
Questions about VA appeal success rates
What is the VA appeal success rate?
At the Board of Veterans' Appeals, 24.7% of 1,241,238 decided rulings from 2021 to 2026 were granted, 45.3% were sent back to VA and 30.0% were denied. When the Board made a final call, it granted 45.1%.
Which VA appeals win most often?
Among claims for a benefit with 1,000 or more decided rulings, the highest Board grant rates were for special monthly compensation (43.4%), clothing allowance (39.0%), education benefits (38.1%). Appeals of a rating reduction or a severance, and requests to reopen a claim, were granted more often still, because a grant there restores or reopens.
Are appeals under the new system more successful?
Yes, at the Board. From 2021 to 2026, appeals under the Appeals Modernization Act were granted 27.9% of the time, against 20.9% for legacy appeals, which the Board sent back more often.
What does it mean when the Board sends an appeal back?
A remand: the Board found VA hadn't done everything it owed the veteran, such as an adequate exam or missing records, and sent the issue back to fix it before deciding. It is not a grant or a denial.
Is the Board's grant rate the same as VA's approval rate?
No. These are appeals of claims VA had already denied or that were in dispute. VA's first decisions and its Higher-Level Reviews and Supplemental Claims have their own numbers.
Sources and method
Board data. Claim Raven reads every Board of Veterans' Appeals decision in its library ruling by ruling: 1,378,030 rulings in 511,036 decisions from 2021 to 2026, each tagged with the issue it decided, the outcome in the decision's order and what the Board relied on. This page counts the 1,378,030 rulings on every issue. Grant rates are granted out of granted, denied and sent back (remanded); dismissed and withdrawn appeals are left out because the Board never decided them. "What the Board relied on" is read only on rulings the Board granted or denied, so it compares with that group's own grant rate. Groups under 100 rulings aren't shown. The library holds only part of 2021's decisions. These figures show what went together in decided appeals, not what caused a result, and they are appeals, not VA's first decisions. The full method is on the VA disability statistics page.
Cite this page
Claim Raven. VA appeal success rates by issue. Board data 2021 to 2026. https://claimraven.com/va-appeal-success-rates
Claim Raven explains VA rules in plain English so you can work your own claim. It is not legal advice, and Claim Raven is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Board outcomes describe appeals that reached the Board; they don't predict any one claim.