VA Claims: Moving from PREPARATION FOR DECISION to COMPLETION. How long?

great topic, I've noticed PO1 (Join to see) & Sgt Dale Cusack mention Service Officer & Service Advocate - do you SGT Justin Singleton have someone in your corner like this that's helping you?

.....can someone share more knowledge on this topic of advocates.....more specific information, like is there a published list? Where can I point my Soldiers that are exiting the military to get the help they might need?

SGT Justin Singleton I'll be honest - I don't know enough about your specific file to throw rocks at. Here's what I always suggest: Find a Veterans Service Organization (VFW,DAV, AL, etc) talk to their Service Officer and sign the VA form 21-22 to permit the organization to look at your file as it is being processed. Relying on the VA's website to tell you where you are in the process is foolhardy. In my most recent argument with the VA the VA website had me in the 'Preparation for Decision' for nearly 4 months AFTER I had a decision letter in my hand. It took another 8 or 9 months for the VA website to finally catch up to reality. Additionally, during the entire process for my claim, the status actually went back and forth between two specific statuses 3 separate times with no reason given. If I had not had given the VFW my POA (the VA form 21-22) I would have never know what was going on....

As I have said before: "Never deal with the VA alone! Find a Service Officer with one of the Veterans Service Organizations and use that Service Officer as your advocate. Get an Advocate!"

And did I mention you should get an ADVOCATE?

Working through an American Legion service officer, my claim was submitted in April 2014, I had my exam on September 19 and received my first payment on September 25, 2014. I may be atypical but my service officer was very thorough in getting the appropriate data to file so the claim went through quickly.

I filed my VA claim in August 2011, and the outcome is still pending as of Jan 2015, more than 3 years later. I have an American Legion service officer overseeing the process as well. I checked in with him last month and he estimated it will take approx 2 more years for my decision. This would mean about 5 1/2 total years from submission to decision in my case.

I have a claim in since May 2014....and in the same phase as yours is. I went through the DAV in filing mine.

Update: It has today moved to the next step in the process, "Pending Decision Approval." The last two steps are "Send Notification Letter" and "Complete." Thanks all for the advice...it looks like it is moving faster than I had thought it would!

I have filed a few claims over the years and my last claim I filed January 12th, 2016. I had my C&P exam on February 4th, 2016 and it went to PFD around the middle of March 2016. I sat there for a few weeks before it started bouncing between Pending Decision Approval back to Preparation for Decision to Pending for Notification. All of that in a matter of a few days and my claim closed on March 29th, 2016 and I was awarded what I claimed.

I did that while I had an NOD pending too! My DRO hearing was scheduled for February 26th, 2016.

Now I just submitted another claim on July 12th, 2016 and I had the C&P exam on August 26th, 2016 and a few days ago I went to Preparation for Decision.

I have to say it usually doesn't take long but keep in mind if there is anything the rater needs an answer to, it will bounce back to Gathering of Evidence.

SGT Justin Singleton, mine was a Benefits Delivered at Discharge(BDD) claim. Typical it can take anywhere from 6-12 months to be completed from the time I retired, July 14, 2014. 5 months have passed and as of 2 weeks ago, I am at the status you are are at "Preparation for Decision" and a development letter was sent, to who I don't know. Again it could one of those strange anomalies that PO1 (Join to see) may have mentioned and the page is not updated. As my AMVET VSO explained, watching the eBenefits portal is like looking at a "best guess estimator". Currently my estimated claim completion date lies between Mar 3 and Jun 30 2015.

I put in my claim 120 days before separation(Apr 2014)(VA says claims can be submitted within 180 days of separation), it was estimated my case would be complete by April 2015, in October it was estimated to be complete in Sep 2015. I was done by the 1st week of Dec with my C&P appointments, my status change to Jul 2015 until the current status as it stands now.

For me, "Preparing for a decision" means the VSR is probably working on the actual decision letter. My only glitch in my claim is a hearing test was requested by the Dr's even though it was not something I had originally submitted be looked at for the claims process. That fact that "TBI" was in my paperwork is what prompted the hearing test. I thought it would change the Mar-Jun 2015 dates, it did not.

VA website says average time for this phase is like 15-28 days. I've heard from some people sometimes they update the award letter before you get your physical letter. Many people find out early this way. Hopefully you will have an answer on your claim shortly.

I am quite unusual. I must have caught the North Texas VA people when they were bored. I retired 1/31/2010, and was getting my disability checks by 4/1/2010.

Many things effect the time it takes the VA to process your claim, how long have you been out, the longer since discharge, the longer it takes etc. Documentation and "Nexus" or connection of disability to time in service are both critical to your claim moving forward quickly.
That said, i was discharged in 82, I was injured at sea and so I had decent documentation of my injuries. My first claim was made in December 2013, it completed August 2015 with a 60% combined rating 50% on back and legs, 10% tinnitus (Presumptive Condition) because I was a yellow shirt on VO, plus three more connected but unrated disabilities.
Next in May 2015 I filed an "Increase" claim which tend to move much faster because it is an established disability, that claim was closed in November 2016 with an increase to 80%, for increase in right leg functional loss. My most recent was another increase claim on the three issues not rated but connected, since these were filed as fully developed the predicted time to complete is October to December this year. I should have C&Ps in the next 60 days.
To answer your original question, from C&P to check if approved, about 6 weeks. I did not use a VSO even though I am with the DAV, they just didn't have enough reps in this area to properly work claims so I took the Bull by the horns myself. Three keys, BE Proactive, Persistent, and use extreme Perseverance in following your claim. Also educate yourself, ask questions, use those VA folks to wring out everything you can, I have gotten phone numbers not typically published just by asking and being persistent. You need to educate yourself and do not just depend on a VSO, they manage MANY cases, you only have one! Do not hesitate to involve your Senators and Congressmen because their inquiries on your behalf are NEVER ignored or slow played and most are thrilled to help, mine in Texas have been!
I am working toward that 100% rating even though my current actual numbers are 110% before they use the mythical but magical "combined ratings scale" of misery! It has taken almost five years, but I have had a lot of time on my hands to be a burr under their saddle! Good Luck Brothers!

Hopefully I can add a little more insight to all of the responses here because my situation is a little bit different. I received my Decision Notice letter, about to weeks ago, with my rating. Yesterday I went to Ebenefits to print my benefits summary letter, from the forms generator, and noticed that my information had changed from One or More Service connected disabilities to None. I called the VA and the explained that changes were made to my claim that hadn't posted to the system yet. I was told to call Claims Services for additional information. Obviously, this worried me because I thought that my claim was done since I had already received the Decision Notification Letter. Also all of the Information in the letter was reflected within my Ebenefits profile. I called Claims Services and the nice gentleman explained to me that because I had "Deferred Disabilities" my claim was going to continue changing status and was not going to be completed until all disabilities had been addressed. I asked if that was going to affect the decision I had already received and he said that while my rating could go up, based on the disabilities still under review, the rating I already had was accurate, approved, and could not be changed to a lower rating. I hope that this helps!! BTW, I completed my claim on my own, without any assistance from Veteran's Organizations, and got a pretty high rating and got it completed in 8 mos. Just have to be careful and pay attention to details in the instructions and provide requested documentation immediately after notification... Ebenefits is a great tool if you use it correctly. I will advised not to check your claim on a daily basis but, definitely check constantly to ensure that they're not waiting on you to submit documentation...

Still fighting the VA to get an injury that IS service connected recognized. FINALLY the VA tells me, we see that you were injured on this date and it IS connected so you get this, but NOW you have to go to a hearing to get it dated and documented properly. 2017 and waiting for them to get it right since 2009. We need to get a 'house cleaning' in Congress done in 2018.

I filed my claim while I still on active-duty in May of 2016, my C&P exams were in July of 2016 and I got my decision just before Christmas. It seemed to go very slow right up until the end. They must have a 6 month goal for Veterans before discharge claims. Ebenefits was accurate for me. It was part of my routine to check ebenefits everyday.

Short answer, for me it was about 2-3 months. Checks started about a month later and back pay a month or so after that. I used VFW and they were awesome but I hear DAV is even faster. fwiw.

Claim submitted Jan 9th, 2017. I had a C&P exam scheduled on Feb 12th and on Feb 13th it went to "Preparation for Decision" where it still stays.

Reading these forums I see quite a varied bit of experience utilizing VSO services. I have the DAV as mine; but, truth be told they haven't done anything for me. I"ve done all this on my own.

Is there something they should be doing on my behalf? I've called them and all they do is reiterate what ebenefits says which is:

Estimated Completion: 04/21/2017 - 07/07/2017


I'm a single claim on a secondary connection to something already service connected. The C&P exam affirms the service connection and recommends approval of the claim.

I realize some of you have been waiting much much longer; but, I just wonder to what extend the VSO makes a difference.

Mine went to Preparation for Decision on 29 August 16 and still waiting. You would think that since this is the "paperwork prep" phase that it wouldn't take that long as a rating has been determined for the most part. When this change happened my completion dates also changed from 29 Aug to 15 October to 30 September to 30 November. I applied using BDD in February through DAV, had my C/P exams in April. QTC left off one of my major conditions, then tried to blame it on the VA which had it listed on my claim. Finally got an evaluation for that mid May. Then in late June (the day before I was to leave for a job interview and visit family) I was contacted by QTC asking why I didn't go to the appointment. I told them I did, even gave a complete play by play of what occurred in the appointment. They said they would contact the doctor and later that day called up and said the doctors assistant didn't have a record of me showing up. I called the doctor he said he remembered me and had sent the paperwork to QTC, and he had two assistants that worked for him, one in his office and one in his lab, and they probably contacted the one in the lab. Called QTC, they were now extremely apologetic and fast tracked me into an appointment at a doctor in the location I was traveling. I've spoken with several people who were sent to QTC for C&P exams and others that were sent to VA hospitals. It seems that those going through QTC with similar conditions get their decisions slower than those using VA hospitals. Of course comparing VA claims is not like comparing apples to apples because each claim is unique.

I initially applied for Disability through a DAV Rep. and the claim opened on ebenefits on 4/29/16. Went to my CP exam on 8th and 9th of Aug. Just noticed that my claim changed status to "Preparation for Decision" on 2 Sept. Just wanted to post, if anyone is interested in following how long it might take. They do list the estimated dates for finishing as 26 Sept. to 23 Oct.

The first time it took about a week, the second time December 23rd 2015 and today 02/12/2016, it is still there. The first time they did not look at any of the evidence I submitted. I asked for a reconsideration within two weeks of getting the denial and it was granted. In both cases there was no C & P exam scheduled by the VA even though I requested one. My disability is only PTSD.

I filed back in Jan 12 2012 and went through the NOD phase, request DRO review and after 4 years finally granted my appeal and raised my compensation to 60 percent. I faxed my SOC letting them know I was happy with the decision and requested to discontinue the appeal process and have the start the adjudication and promulgated stage. So hopefully goes quickly, because they already granted me partial grant. Just hopefully they don't lolly gag around. The sooner the better. Any thoughts or anyone in this boat waiting for a final completion? Thoughts!

My situation was different from this in several ways. I had a Med-Board from the Army for one and only one disability. This happened so fast that I did not get other things documented well in the military system before I was out. I had several disabilities, though. I wrote them all up on the VA paperwork at TAP/ETS briefings which were all pretty informative, but rapid.

I filled out my claim with the VA rep at the Army post and got a decision letter about the time my ETS 90-day period was up. It included only the item from the Med-Board decision and two others that were easy to test for and include. Most of them were simply denied due to lack of records, although they were related to the incident that caused my Med-Board. I've been treated for several of these "denied" items repeatedly in the VA Health care system. I've attempted multiple claims through the VA. The first one was through the county's office. That one (the permanent disability part) never went anywhere, due to inability to service-connect things, and I knew I had a good rep there who was also a disabled vet. I was able to get temporary 100% through that rep for surgeries spaced out over the next two years, though.

I moved to a different county and that rep left the area anyway, so after a few more treatments for the "denied" parts, and some new ones I was then being treated for, I put in another claim this time with VFW. This one had just as much trouble as the first one, "service-connection" issues.

I pretty much gave up and began a new career in teaching, and didn't have time for 3 appts/week, so I let some things slide. I just "made do" the best I could, avoided whatever hurt the most, and worked my butt off. After a year-and-a-half of that, I was falling over and having severe migraines along with vertigo and nausea. I kept toughing it out to see what was making it worse or better. My Primary care referred me to TBI hearing, TBI eye clinic and Neurology. My neurologist was puzzled by the fact my migraines were one-sided, and by the stimulation for them. TBI sent me to a special eye clinic to see if they could help with eye strain. Apparently I was sensitive to the projector light bulb. I thought "what's new?" so the VA gave me glasses with a blue filter, which helped. They also changed the direction of focus for my right eyeball which was skewed from normal. Each eye was better than 20/20, but I had trouble seeing one image, therefore everything was "fuzzy".

Next my neurologist made a connection between several of the things I was being treated for, but had my claim denied. She connected these to the one-sided migraine and the crooked aim of my right eyeball. Since these things now were seen to have a common cause, I put in a another claim, through The Order of the Purple Heart (another VA service not as well known as VFW), pointing to the commonality in the cause behind four apparently unrelated things. My claim went through this time, with 3 of the 5 elements having always been on every claim before, and this was 8 years after the initial claim. I don't know if it was the 2 new ones added, or the fact that common thread connected them all that made the difference, or maybe it was my rep.

All I can say is proving service connectedness is difficult at best when you don't know what is specifically wrong, and if you get mis-diagnosed anywhere in the process. In my case my new claim that was approved resulted in two older diagnoses dropping off. They were replaced by more accurate ones that were explanatory for many symptoms, rather than being merely based on a single symptom.

I never got any back pay, though.

Singleton, have entered into the RAMP "program claim" and I am now in the "Preparation for Decision" stage. I didn't see an answer as to how long it took you to move to the next stage, so my question is: How long did it take? I have been in the "Waiting system" over 5 years now, and just moved over to the RAMP in May of this year.