The envelope is thick for a reason.

When the VA decides your claim, it mails a decision letter, usually within about 10 business days of the decision. You can also download it from VA.gov under your claim status. The packet has two parts: a cover letter that tells you the outcome and your monthly amount, and a longer "Rating Decision" that explains the reasoning condition by condition.

What to look for, in order

1. The list of issues. Every condition you claimed appears with one of three outcomes: granted, denied, or deferred.
2. The rating on each granted condition. This is the percentage for that one condition, before combining.
3. The effective date on each granted condition. This is the date your payments for that condition start. Back pay is measured from here, so check it against the date you filed or the date of your Intent to File.
4. The combined rating. The single number your monthly payment is based on. See how the VA combines ratings.
5. The evidence list. Everything the VA says it looked at. If a record you sent is missing from this list, that matters.
6. The reasons and bases. For each denial, the letter says which of the three required pieces was missing: a current diagnosis, an event or injury in service, or a link between the two.

The three words that decide everything

• Granted means the VA agrees the condition is connected to your service. The percentage tells you how severe the VA rated it.
• Denied means the VA did not find one of the three pieces. Read the reason. A denial for "no nexus" is a very different problem from a denial for "no current diagnosis."
• Deferred means the VA has not decided that condition yet. It usually needs another exam or another record before it can. It is not a denial. See what "deferred" means.

If you disagree

You have one year from the date on the letter to ask for a review while keeping your original effective date. There are three ways to do that, and picking the right one depends on why you were denied. We explain them in Supplemental Claim vs Higher-Level Review vs Board Appeal.

How we help with a decision letter

We go through the whole packet with you, condition by condition, and tell you in plain English what was granted, what was denied and why, and whether the effective dates look right. Then we talk about what, if anything, is worth doing next.