Through a collaborative effort with VSOs and other representatives, VA launched a Claim Accuracy Request (CAR) pilot program for accredited representatives to request an expeditious review and determination of disability claims decisions.

During the trial period, VA-accredited representatives, agents and attorneys can submit a CAR on behalf of a Veteran if the representative alleges an obvious error in fact or law. VA must receive the CAR within 30-calendar days of VA’s notification to the claimant.

VA agrees to review and provide decisions on CARs within 30-calendar days of receipt. This process replaces the previous 48-hour review period allowing VSOs to review draft decisions prior to final issuance.

VSOs add value to the claims process, allowing VA to quickly correct errors. As part of the pilot and program upgrade, accredited representatives will receive electronic notification alerts throughout the claim’s lifecycle and when a decision is completed for Veterans or claimants they represent.

As the pilot continues through August, VA will assess its effectiveness and prepare for next steps. VA encourages Veterans to work with VA-recognized organizations and VA-accredited individuals for assistance in completing claims for VA benefits.

For more information about these initiatives and other VA modernization efforts, visit VA.gov.


April Cunningham is the communications and marketing chief with VBA’s Office of Strategic Engagement.

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28 Comments

  1. Vanessa Pyle June 13, 2021 at 06:58

    Can someone please tell me why as a surviving spouse of a veteran who was receiving disability benefits and unable to work that I a have been tossed to the side like trash? I keep getting denied for benefits because it didn’t say total and permanent disable when he was discharged and I’m just finding this out that it had to say both. I just do not understand this system at all! And why do they only count a certain percentage even though at the time of discharge he totaled over and said permanently disabled. Then he he gets letters and back pay due to errors they made. So I will soon be living in my car with my daughter because the VA treats us like crap. My husband served his country and unfortunately was injured pretty bad if it hadn’t been for that he would have stayed in. I have lost faith, hope, and trust in the VA. Now I know why there are so many veterans on the streets! You don’t care about them and you certainly don’t care about their families!

    • Jack Alot June 16, 2021 at 23:30

      Maybe get a job, and don’t expect the VA to pay your bills for you…

      • Vanessa Pyle June 18, 2021 at 02:54

        Oh I’m sorry I have a career jerk and raising our daughter now without her dad whom we lost to an accident. I suggest you watch your mouth! Furthermore my husband served his country and was injured because of it so who the hell are you to say sht! I hope you never have to experience the pain of losing your spouse tragically and not finding out they are dead until 4 hours after they died and then dealing with your own depression while trying to be strong for your child. People like you can rot in hell.

      • Vanessa Pyle June 18, 2021 at 13:04

        Do you even know my situation? No you don’t so don’t assume that you do. First off my husband left me in a bind by letting his VA loan go into foreclosure so that’s why I may be out on the streets! Second he didn’t have a life insurance policy like he said through the military. And again I have a job with a dental office. I do NOT make enough on my own to support myself and daughter! I have had no help from the VA to find assistance because I do not receive benefits. He kept procrastinating on putting us on his insurance and furthermore I had to help him get a new/used vehicle because my credit was and I mean was because it had to go in my name and I had to let it go because I can’t afford the payment on it plus I have my own vehicle. This has ruined my credit. So before you go offering your crap advice think before you speak! My husband died 11/15/2020 in a motorcycle crash and we didn’t get to say goodbye or see him for that matter the day he died. My daughter and I both haven’t healed at all and adding all the stress of what I am dealing with financially plus going to WORK I am emotionally, physically, and mentally drained and still trying to be strong for our daughter. I’ve lost over 40 pounds and at a very unhealthy weight because I can’t eat. So don’t throw stones when you know nothing. And I’m sorry but our Veterans do get treated crappy I have witnessed it with my husband!

  2. Glenn E Spruille June 11, 2021 at 11:11

    I was not surprised at some of the comments left by other Veterans. I have asked for assistant to file my NOD and no VSO at the North Chicago location are no help at all and at times can be rude.this CARS thing sounds to good to be fair towards a Veteran. The system is rigged to only help certain people…sad…sad…sad.

    • Jimmie Perkins June 13, 2021 at 14:29

      I agree with you. I live in the DC area and it’s hard still to get representation with a claim. You call and no one answers. Sad still

  3. Patrick Cutter June 10, 2021 at 21:44

    Since President Trump has left office, I haven’t received a letter or anything else. When he was in offices I was receiving letters of what was going on with my claims.

  4. Rodney Ballard June 10, 2021 at 20:52

    The VA in Jackson , Ms is sorriest place ever for Veterans and its employees. It’s a shame to know who is in charge. Bennie Thompson needs to launch an investigation and clean house. I know an employee there who has been sick and has not been paid since October. You people are nuts over there.

  5. Jessie Adan Hernandez June 10, 2021 at 18:38

    Yeah right. Only took a year for them to grant me higher rating during my claim time only to reduce it . The VA is such a joke. I appealed that decision only for it to take, going on 4 months since appeal. I hate you VA. Why does this take so long???

  6. Eric Lewis June 10, 2021 at 18:31

    I sincerely hope this new approach works. I’m retired from a VA Regional Office and know personally that people aren’t just sitting on, “fat lazy butts,” as some have posted. They are usually veterans themselves under enormous stress, working 12+ hour days often including weekends, in a highly regulated environment with appointed bosses who often aren’t veterans. And, non-veteran executive bottom lines are about statistics and procedures, not the veterans, widows and orphans being served. I also have an appeal pending from a very bad decision and wish this program existed a couple of years ago. It would have easily been reversed with basic common sense. Recently, was told I gave the right info but on the wrong form when requesting a higher level review so that particular issue was denied not based on the facts, but based on the format. No wonder many just give up. General Omar Bradley must be shaking his head if he’s looking at this all from beyond his grave. “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures; with their problems, not ours.”

  7. Carlos M santiago June 10, 2021 at 16:19

    I had served in the NEW YORK ARMY National Guard from 1977 to 1989 IN 1989 I COULD REENLIST Cause of Being Diagnosed with M.S Muiltiple Scorocess.This Diagnoses came about after I suffered an Attack while pulling guard in a training in Canada I provide my paperwork my orders at time n my doctor visit to the V.A.after training. Now note when asked for my medical record or incident report at time of duty after requesting my records they continue to respond with we find no records n continue to denied my disability. But to this date social Security has approved my disability. Had read in my military manual show that if S.S approved that then military should also approve my disability..please help me.my name is Carlos m Santiago Please help me please I need this approved tell me how to go about or refer a good ATTORNEY

  8. G helvey June 10, 2021 at 15:20

    It would help if they got it RIGHT the first time. All this does is help VA justify their completion numbers. Like mine. The rater did not even view the info. Court even state it in their remand. Two years and counting.

  9. Joe Rowland June 10, 2021 at 15:18

    I have had clams in for years n years apells all wat to court veterans revo i will b dead be for thay get off lazy fat butt take care of this

    • Tomas Charles Husted June 10, 2021 at 17:00

      I had a claim in system for 3 1/2 years. Two weeks into covid last April they denied my claim. I think they used covid as an excuse to clear a backlog of cases. I thought it was total BS just another excuse to dump thousands of claims and NODS. Did they burn anyone else out there the same way?

      [Editor: Appeals are not part of the backlog, and the backlog has increased due to COVID-19, and has never been “cleared.” VA publishes this data every week: https://benefits.va.gov/REPORTS/detailed_claims_data.asp ]

  10. Jesse Johnson June 10, 2021 at 11:31

    Hello everyone, my name is Jesse Johnson. I am a retired VA Veteran Service Representative, I processed disability claims for 6 years at the Jackson, MS and Columbia, SC Veteran Affairs Offices. I am a 100% disabled Navy Veteran and I have opened my new business in Sumter, SC. If you are lost in the VA disability process and need someone that knows the “SYSTEM” and what it takes to improve your chances for a favorable rating, look me up.

    We don’t promise anything but quality service and a strong commitment to helping any and everyone in their VA Benefits pursuit.
    Our website is under construction.

    • Stacey Keyser June 10, 2021 at 13:26

      I am currently receiving disability I want to add to it but unsure how to. I have been diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 45. Can you help?

  11. Bradford L Moyer June 10, 2021 at 11:15

    I was in the Army in 1974. In 1977 I had a vehicle accident involving in a truck during line of duty.
    Seizures, headaches, nosebleeds followed the TBI.
    The Army sent me to Walter Reed hospital to find out why. They said I suffered a TBI and I would have to take meds for rest of life. They never could stop the headaches and nose bleeds so I had to get on with life. Went to college, got a management degree. Got a job with a military contractor and became a supervisor for the next 28yrs. After eating aspirin to stop the headaches for 15yrs, I lost half my stomach.
    My wife passed in 2016, we owned a trucking company by this time, having left the contractor job in 2005 due to them moving to Arkansas for cheaper wages. After my wife’s passing I moved to Texas with my brother. Went back out on the road again until June of 2018 when I came off the road due to the headaches,,nose bleeds, with seizures getting worse.
    Went to a community care provider here in Wichita Falls Tx who told me my problem was crushed disks in my neck. They were there since the accident in 77. They replaced 4 disks in my neck and the headaches and nose bleeds stopped, after 40 yrs.
    The community doctors said there’s no way they could have missed the crushed bones in neck.

    • Paul Michaels June 10, 2021 at 20:53

      Why are there very good VSO’s & very bad VSO’s. Here in Central Florida, the VA is taking care of me & my issues with no problems. They are good in that respect. Unfortunately, the VBA isn’t as good. I’ve had two really bad VSO’s. I’m working with a good one (I believe, we shall see). I talked to others from Texas & S. Carolina (brothers) & they both had a great experience, me crappy. I just pray the system gets better! Optimistic!!!

  12. Spencer Pittman June 10, 2021 at 09:35

    As a 22 year, 9 month retired Army Staff Sergeant and disabled VET, I am so tired of the bullsh*t that the VA keeps force feeding the proud men and women that proudly served this country! Instead of processing our claims in a timely manner, we wait years just to have our claim moved from one desk to another. This is far beyond ridiculous! Now here comes yet another acronym program that is supposed provide faster processing of VA claims! Isn’t that what the last three or four “New” acronym programs were supposed to do? Fully developed claim, RAMP, Hardship, CAR were all supposed to process claims faster. When will it end? The VA treatment of vets after we have served our country, is just horrible! If I had known about this before I joined the Army, I probably would have chosen a different career! Having to deal with life after the military plus the physical and mental issues that came from my time in service, can be overwhelming at times! So, the VA has all of the test results from the VA that proves that every one of my claims are legit, but instead of processing and approving the claims, the VA would rather offer me yet another, “FASTER” program. I was once told that if I were homeless, that my claim could be processed faster. No veteran should have to be homeless just to get the help that they need after serving their country! There is no way that anyone can tell me that there isn’t anything wrong with this process!!!

  13. Larry miller June 10, 2021 at 08:45

    I was in Balad Iraq for 2yrs as a military contractor. I have had exposure issues lung and bone disease high blood pressure acoustic schwannoma remove. Tinnitus blurred vision and lipomas from ionized radiation exposure. The VA will not recognize any of my illnesses because I was a contractor.

  14. GEORGE W JONES June 10, 2021 at 08:43

    My VA doctor has diagnosed me with a Bipolar disorder. He has stated that it was missed back in 1981 at it’s onset. I remained in that chronic state of manic behavior until 10 years ago when Dr Jochner of the Anderson SC VA started working with me.
    Because of his work everything in my life has been turned upside-down and quickly put back in order. Clarity of thought, relationships have been healed. I was able pickup where left off in college. All of this has been submitted and I was still denied.
    I’m not sure where to turn next. My doctor was kind enough to write a letter directly regarding the misdiagnosis. However, no change still denied!!! If anyone has a suggestion please please help me out.

    Thanks

  15. Robert Johnson June 10, 2021 at 08:32

    Been trying since 2004 , to get agent orange claim, settled only to hear same thing, you have been denied, before they even have time to process the claim.they just read the address.but let us not give up.come on congress

  16. MICHAEL Fowble June 10, 2021 at 07:53

    Why do veterans have to wait until the end of June to receive reimbursement for co-pays ? Congress approved this months ago . Perhaps the VA employees are staying home while collecting more money from the government like millions of Americans who are taking advantage of the system during the overblown pandemic .

  17. Joanne Marie Diehl June 10, 2021 at 04:45

    Hoping for help soon. Married 48 yrs. Why the wait?3×

  18. Joanne Marie Diehl June 10, 2021 at 04:42

    My husband passed away on may 4 2020 due to showing signs of agent orange from viet nam. He filed for help over 8 years ago. He died from diabetes aging hypertension, stage 5 kidney failure.charcot marie tooth syndrome.and was a bilateral below knee amputee. He also had a triple heart bypass.one meeting in wilkes barre lasted 20 minutes.No.Again. Next came a letter saying on their own they decided he would be turned down again. So our va lawyer filed an appeal in washington to try and change the claim. It is all a game. 8 years and no help. Give your life for your country and it means zero. I was his sole caretaker. I wish they would make people come to the house and see how I’ll he was.

  19. Lucas Armstrong June 10, 2021 at 01:10

    Sounds like a good program

  20. Richard Jones June 9, 2021 at 21:48

    Barbara Ray in the Camden, SC office is an outstanding VSO!

  21. Patrick Bryan June 9, 2021 at 20:03

    What a joke, this works only if your a Post 911 Vets us Pre 911 Vets are still screwed over, having to wait moths and years for a decision or 4 BVA hearing!!!!!!

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