The VA's eight-step claims tracker (visible on VA.gov and eBenefits) shows where a claim sits in the review process, but it does not move at a fixed pace, and the time spent at any single step, including Step 5 (Preparation for Decision), can vary widely depending on workload, the complexity of the claim, and whether any additional evidence or signatures are needed.
A temporary 100% evaluation under 38 CFR 4.29 is granted for hospital treatment of 21 days or more for a service-connected disability. Because this type of claim is evidence-based (hospital records, discharge summary, and sometimes a required VA examination after release) rather than dependent on a full rating decision from scratch, it is often processed faster than a standard increase claim, but it still has to pass through quality review and be finalized by a rating specialist before the award is implemented.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Sitting at Step 5 for two or three weeks is not unusual. Step 5 means the rating activity has essentially finished drafting the decision and it is moving toward final review and authorization; some claims move through this step in days, others take weeks if the office is backlogged, if a rater has follow-up questions, or if the file needs a second signature for quality assurance. A jump back to Step 4 or 5 after initially appearing closer to a decision can also happen if new evidence is added or if the claim is being double-checked before the temporary 100% percentage is finalized, which is common because evaluations under 4.29 often require a scheduled future reduction examination to be set up at the same time the award is granted.
There is no published average processing time for how long a claim should remain at any specific step, and the step tracker itself is only a general indicator, not a guarantee of a specific timeline. Calling the VA national hotline will usually only confirm the same status shown online, since call center staff do not have more detailed visibility than the identical interface in the online portal.
If it has been several weeks with no movement and no request for additional evidence, the most useful next step is to request a status update through the VA.gov claim status page or ask a VSO (such as DAV, VFW, or American Legion) to submit an inquiry on your behalf, since an accredited representative can sometimes get more specific information from the regional office processing the claim.
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