The letter in your hand has three clocks running and at least one number worth double-checking. Enter the date on the letter to get your exact deadlines, then re-run the VA's own math from the ratings printed on it — every step shown.
| Lane | Form | Window | Clock starts | Received or postmarked? | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher-Level Review | VA Form 20-0996 | 1 year | Date VA issued the decision notice | Received by VA — not postmarked | 38 CFR 3.2601(d) |
| Supplemental Claim | VA Form 20-0995 | No absolute deadline — but 1 year to keep your effective date | Date VA issued the decision notice | Received within the year for continuous pursuit | 38 CFR 3.2501 |
| Board appeal (Notice of Disagreement) | VA Form 10182 | 1 year | Date on the notice letter | Received by the Board | 38 CFR 20.203 |
| Court appeal (CAVC) — Board decisions only | Notice of Appeal to the Court | 120 days | Date the Board decision was mailed | Filed with the Court within 120 days | 38 USC 7266(a) |
A Supplemental Claim filed after the one-year window is still allowed with new and relevant evidence — you don't lose the claim, you generally lose the earlier effective date (back pay runs from the new filing instead). And the Higher-Level Review deadline is received-by, so never mail it in the final week.
Enter every individual rating listed on the letter, mark the ones affecting both arms or both legs (paired limbs), then enter the combined rating the letter printed. We re-run 38 CFR §4.25/§4.26 and show every step. The most commonly documented VA math error — a missing bilateral factor — never appears as a line item on the letter, so recomputing is the only way to see it.
| The letter says… | What it means |
|---|---|
| "Entitlement to service connection is deferred" | Not decided yet — VA needs more development on that issue and a separate decision will follow. It is not a denial, and no appeal clock starts on a deferred issue. |
| "Service connection granted… evaluated at 0 percent" | You won the connection but at a noncompensable level. This still matters: it locks in service connection for any future worsening, opens the door to secondary claims, and a 0% can later be increased. |
| "A routine future examination has been scheduled" | Your rating is not permanent — VA plans to re-examine the condition and could adjust the rating. |
| "Permanent and total" / no future exams language | The 100% combined status is considered static; dependents' education (Chapter 35) and CHAMPVA eligibility typically attach to P&T. |
| "Combined evaluation" | Not the sum of your ratings — it's the whole-person calculation under 38 CFR §4.25 (check it in section 2 above). |
| "Effective date" | The date your payments are computed from — usually the claim-received date. If you think it should be earlier (an earlier claim, an intent to file), that is itself an appealable issue. |
| "Entitlement to special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1114(k)" | SMC-K — an add-on paid on top of your regular compensation for loss of use of certain organs or extremities. If you see any SMC code, decode it with our SMC calculator. |
| "The evidence does not show a link (nexus) to service" | The denial is about the connection element, not the diagnosis. This is the element most often fixable with a medical nexus opinion in a Supplemental Claim. |
| "We made a decision based on the evidence of record" | Often appears when a C&P exam was missed or records didn't arrive — the decision used only what VA had. New and relevant evidence via a Supplemental Claim reopens the question. |
| "Remanded" (Board decisions) | Sent back to the regional office for more development and another decision. A remand is not a loss. |
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Deadline rules from 38 CFR 3.2601(d), 38 CFR 3.2501, 38 CFR 20.203 and 38 USC 7266(a); combined-rating math from 38 CFR §4.25 and §4.26 — checked 2026-08-16. This is general information computed from the date and numbers you enter, not legal advice; deadlines can differ in edge cases (e.g., contested claims), so confirm against your letter's own appeal-rights enclosure (VA Form 20-0998). VetAid is not VA-accredited.