When the VA issues a rating decision that shows one or more conditions as "deferred," it means the VA has made a final decision on some of your claimed conditions but needs more time, evidence, or an additional examination before it can decide the deferred issue. This is not a denial and it is not a grant — it is essentially a placeholder stating that a decision has not yet been reached on that specific condition.
Common reasons for a deferral include: the VA needs to schedule or reschedule a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam for that condition, an exam report came back incomplete or needs clarification from the examiner, the VA is waiting on additional medical records (private treatment records, service treatment records, or federal records), or the rating activity needs more time to evaluate complex evidence such as mental health conditions, TBI residuals, or conditions requiring a specialist's opinion. Sometimes a deferral happens because one issue is straightforward and ready to decide while a related or more complicated issue needs further development, so the VA will not hold up the entire claim.
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 →In practice, the conditions that were decided become part of your current combined rating and effective date, while the deferred condition remains open under the same claim number. You do not need to file a new claim for the deferred issue — it is still being worked by the VA, and it will eventually receive its own rating decision letter once the missing evidence or exam is completed. There is no fixed timeline for how long a deferral stays open; it varies based on scheduling availability for exams and how quickly outside records are received.
If you have not received a notice explaining what evidence is needed, you can call the VA or check your claim status on VA.gov to see if an exam is pending or if a Development Letter requesting additional evidence was sent. If a C&P exam is scheduled, attend it, since missing the exam can result in the condition being denied for insufficient evidence rather than continuing as deferred.
The concrete next step is to log into VA.gov, review your claim status and any letters for the deferred issue, and respond promptly to any request for evidence or exam scheduling so the deferred portion of your claim can be finalized.
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