What is a VA Development Letter?
If you have a VA disability claim pending, you may receive a development letter. Many people get nervous when they receive an unexpected letter from the VA while a claim is under consideration or notice that the status of their claim has changed to show that a development letter has been sent. Don’t worry. A development letter is no cause for concern unless you fail to respond in a timely manner.
Why Does the VA Send a Development Letter?
A development letter typically contains two types of information: an update on the status of your claim, and a request for additional information. The information requested may be medical documentation, service records, or something else. It may be documentation the VA was expecting and didn’t receive, such as documentation of your discharge status. Or, it may be supplemental information, such as additional medical evidence.
What To Do When You Receive a Development Letter
When you receive a development letter, you should promptly provide the requested information or documentation. The letter will let you know how long you have to respond. Usually, this will be either 30 days or 60 days. As soon as you receive a development letter, check the deadline for responding, count it out, and mark your calendar. Missing a deadline can seriously set back your claim, or even result in denial.
If you have the evidence the VA asked for or you can obtain it in time, simply provide the evidence as requested. Make sure to keep a copy of everything you request, along with a record of when and how you submitted the requested documentation. If you send it in the mail, it’s a good idea to use a documented form of mailing, such as certified mail.
If you don’t have the evidence the VA has requested, your next steps will depend on the evidence involved and whether you can obtain it. For example, if you’ve requested a record but the deadline is approaching or the source of the record has told you it won’t arrive before the deadline, you should reach out to the VA. You can find contact information for the person handling your claim in the development letter. You should also reach out if the missing documentation is something the VA can help you obtain, such as a military service record.
If you’ve already missed a deadline, act quickly. The VA may give you additional time to respond, but you should reach out as soon as possible.
What Happens if You Don’t Respond to a Development Letter?
If the VA requests additional evidence from you and you don’t provide that information as requested, they will make a decision based on the information they have. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the claim will be denied. However, the fact that the VA sent the development letter means that they thought something significant was missing. So, you generally don’t want them making a decision on your claim without seeing that missing evidence.
What Happens after You Respond to a Development Letter?
Sometimes, the VA sends a development letter when they’ve almost finished reviewing your VA disability claim but found that they need some additional evidence. In other cases, though, they notice right away that there’s something missing. That means the timeline for receiving a decision after you respond to a development letter can vary significantly. In other words, you shouldn’t read anything into the fact that you received a development letter. It doesn’t mean the VA is on the verge of making a decision. It also doesn’t mean that your claim is more or less likely to be approved. It’s just a step in the process.
What To Do If Your Claim is Denied
If your claim is denied, you can appeal. That’s true whether or not you provided the information the VA asked for in the development letter. But the VA system of appeals is complicated. There is more than one way to appeal, and the right one depends on your circumstances. For example, depending on the type of appeal you choose, you may or may not have the opportunity to submit new evidence. If your claim was denied after you failed to provide requested evidence, you will likely need to choose a path that allows you to supplement your claim.
Figuring out which type of appeal is best for you and how to put together the most effective appeal can be a challenge. An experienced VA disability benefits advocate can help.
Getting Help with Your VA Development Letter Requests
Receiving a development letter isn’t a bad sign, but failing to respond properly can hurt your VA disability claim. If you worked with a disability benefits advocate to submit your claim, make sure you contact your advocate right away when you receive a development letter. Your advocate can help make sure you understand exactly what the VA is looking for and help you gather the evidence you need. Your advocate can even reach out to the VA for you if there are issues, such as the request being unclear or the evidence they are requesting is unavailable.
If you filed your disability claim on your own, this may be the time to speak with an advocate. Providing the right information in the right form in the right timeline could make the difference between approval and denial.
Disabled Vets is Here to Help
At Disabled Vets, our advocates are dedicated to making sure disabled veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve. Whether you’re just preparing to file a VA disability claim, have filed a claim and then received a development letter or other request from the VA, have received a denial, or have received a VA disability rating you think is too low, our team has the knowledge and experience to help you take the next steps.
We offer free case evaluations, so you have nothing to lose by learning more. Call us today at 888-373-4722 or fill out our contact form to get started here.
