Decision reviews · official rules · checked October 11, 2026 · we do not file
VA Supplemental Claims: new and relevant evidence, forms, and the 1-year window
If VA denied a claim and you now have evidence VA has not seen, a Supplemental Claim asks VA to look again with that evidence. This guide explains when it fits, what “new and relevant” means, which form to use, and why the date on your decision letter matters. It also shows how Veterans Benefits AI can help you read the letter, find what is missing, and keep the one-year mark in view. You, or an accredited representative, file it.
Last checked October 11, 2026. Not legal or medical advice. Not a VA decision.
When a Supplemental Claim fits
VA.gov, checked October 11, 2026, says you must meet both of these: VA decided your claim in the past, and the claim is not a contested claim. You must also meet at least one of these: you have new and relevant evidence to submit (VA can help gather evidence you identify), or you are asking for a review based on a change in law, such as the PACT Act.
VA.gov also says a Supplemental Claim is not the path when a rated condition got worse. For that, you file a claim for increased disability compensation.
What “new and relevant” evidence means
VA.gov puts it simply: new evidence is information VA has not considered before, and relevant evidence is information that proves or disproves something in your claim.
The rule, 38 CFR 3.2501(a)(1), says new evidence is evidence not previously part of the actual record before VA, and relevant evidence tends to prove or disprove a matter at issue. It adds that relevant evidence includes evidence that raises a theory of entitlement VA did not address before. 38 CFR 3.2501 also says VA will consider VA treatment records you reasonably identify.
Unless the claim rests on a change in law, VA.gov says you need new and relevant evidence for the application to be complete. If none is presented or secured, the rule says VA will issue a decision finding there was not enough evidence to look at the claim again.
VA.gov gives two examples: a new medical report that links a denied mental health condition to a service-connected injury, and a buddy statement from someone who saw the incident that caused a denied back condition.
Time limits and your effective date
38 CFR 3.2501 says you may file a Supplemental Claim any time after VA issues notice of a decision. There is no hard deadline to file one.
The one-year mark still matters. Under 38 CFR 3.2500(h)(1), if you keep an issue going by filing a review within one year of each decision, the effective date is generally set from the date VA received the first claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later, unless another rule applies. Under 38 CFR 3.2500(h)(2), a Supplemental Claim received more than one year after the notice generally cannot have an effective date earlier than the date VA received the Supplemental Claim.
The year starts on the date on your decision letter. Write that date down. If you are close to it, talk with an accredited representative before you rely on a summary.
Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal
These are the three decision review options VA.gov lists. You choose. Checked on the VA.gov pages on October 11, 2026.
| Option | When it fits | New evidence? | Time limit | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplemental Claim | You have new and relevant evidence, or a change in law applies. | Yes, unless it rests on a change in law. | Any time after the decision. File within 1 year to keep an earlier effective date. | VA Form 20-0995, or online for disability compensation. |
| Higher-Level Review | You think the decision had an error or a difference of opinion on the same evidence. | No. A senior reviewer looks at the same evidence. | Within 1 year of the decision on the first claim or a Supplemental Claim. | VA Form 20-0996. |
| Board Appeal | You want a Veterans Law Judge to review the case. | Depends on the lane you pick: Direct Review (no), Evidence Submission (yes), or a hearing. | Within 1 year of the decision (60 days for a contested claim). | VA Form 10182. |
How to file
VA.gov says a disability compensation Supplemental Claim can be filed online. For other benefit types, you file by mail, in person, or with the help of a VSO, using VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request: Supplemental Claim.
If you want VA to get records from a private doctor, VA.gov says to also fill out VA Form 21-4142. An accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO representative can help you file. VSO help is always free.
After you file, VA.gov says you do not need to do anything unless VA writes to ask for more. Go to any exam VA schedules. VA.gov listed an average of 58.3 days to complete a disability compensation or pension Supplemental Claim in September 2026, with a goal of 125 days. That is an average, not your timeline.
How Veterans Benefits AI helps
Veterans Benefits AI is a low-cost guided workspace to understand your records and organize your own claim. For a Supplemental Claim, that means:
- Decision Letter Explainer reads your decision letter and lists what was granted, denied, or deferred, quoting the page each line came from. VA must name the unmet elements of a denial, so that list shows what the new evidence needs to speak to.
- Ask My Records searches the files you upload and quotes the exact page. It can show whether the same words already appear in records you have, which helps you check what VA may already have seen. It cannot see VA's own record, and it does not decide what counts as new.
- The evidence checklist marks each item as have, missing, or unknown, so the gap stays clear.
- Statement review checks a new personal or buddy statement against the published rating rules for the condition and flags topics it does not cover yet. It never adds symptoms and never writes the statement for you.
- The claim board can track a decision review, so the date on your letter stays in view.
What we do not do
14-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $107.99/year. Cancel anytime. Never a cut of your VA pay.
- File the Supplemental Claim or any other review. You, or someone you appoint, file it.
- Decide which review option you should pick, or whether your evidence is enough.
- Act as your representative. We are not a VSO, a claims agent, or an attorney.
- Promise a result, a rating, or a payment.
Common questions
What is a VA Supplemental Claim?
A decision review where you ask VA to look at a claim again because you have new and relevant evidence, or because a change in law applies. VA Form 20-0995 is the form, and disability compensation claims can be filed online.
Is there a deadline for a Supplemental Claim?
You can file one any time after the decision. To keep an earlier effective date, file within one year of the date on your decision letter. After one year, the effective date generally cannot be earlier than the date VA receives the Supplemental Claim.
What counts as new and relevant evidence?
New means VA has not considered it before. Relevant means it tends to prove or disprove something in your claim, including a theory VA did not address before. A new medical report or a new buddy statement are VA's own examples.
Should I file a Supplemental Claim if my condition got worse?
No. VA.gov says to file a claim for increased disability compensation when a rated condition gets worse.
Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review?
A Supplemental Claim adds new evidence. A Higher-Level Review does not allow new evidence; a senior reviewer looks at the same record for an error or a difference of opinion. A free accredited VSO can help you choose.
Official sources
Fetched October 11, 2026.
Related pages
Veterans Benefits AI · veteransbenefitsai.com · MAOMA Enterprises LLC. Veterans Benefits AI (veteransbenefitsai.com) is not affiliated with similarly named sites such as veteransbenefits.ai, with any VA GPT or chatbot, or with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.