The United States of Veteran Affairs (VA) may deny your claims for several different reasons. In fact, the VA denies up to 30% of the claims annually. It is therefore important to understand the reasons behind the denial of benefits.
The VA does not provide feedback on why a specific claim failed. Fortunately, you can submit an appeal to the VA within a year after a claim has been denied, but before doing so you should understand possible errors in your application. This article covers some of the reasons why claims are denied.
1. You did not submit enough evidence
The VA approves your application when you have established that you have a service-related disability. The necessary evidence to prove this includes medical records from your doctor.
2. You do not have a specific diagnosis
The VA requires that your diagnosis be current. It should also be directly linked to your service.
3. You failed to attend your C&P exam
You must attend your compensation and pension (C&P) exam for the VA to confirm that your disability is service-related. It helps to be vigilant to know when the C&P exam is due to avoid missing it.
4. You filled out the wrong forms
The application to file a claim is quite long. Be sure that you have completed all parts of it before submitting it, as an incomplete or incorrect form is likely to get your claim denied.
5. Your disability rating does not qualify you for benefits
It takes a little more than the VA accepting that your disability is service-related. You must have a VA disability rating of more than 10% to qualify for benefits.
6. Your claim is still in the process
It is possible to think your application has been denied even though it is still in progress. The VA sometimes takes a long time to review claims. You can always follow up to find out whether this is the case.
7. Your condition is not considered service-oriented
You are only eligible for compensation if your disability was caused or worsened by your military service. The VA may deny your claim if they conclude that your condition was preexisting before you started offering military service.