Education and organizing only · Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · you review and submit · we do not file

VA claim denied: your review options

If you disagree with a VA benefit decision, VA.gov says you can choose from 3 review options: a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board Appeal. This page lists what each option is, the form VA names, and the time limit VA publishes. It is education and organizing only. You review the facts and you submit the form, or an accredited representative you choose does that. We do not pick the option for you.

Last checked October 16, 2026. Not legal or medical advice. Not a VA decision.

The 3 options VA lists

VA.gov, checked October 16, 2026, says if you disagree with a VA benefit decision, you can choose from 3 decision review options to continue your case. They are a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, and a Board Appeal.

The same page sorts them in plain words. A Supplemental Claim is the option when you have new evidence. A Higher-Level Review is the option when you believe there is an error and you do not have new evidence. A Board Appeal is the option when you want a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals to review the case.

Those are VA's descriptions. They are not a choice this page makes for your letter. A free accredited VSO can help you read the letter and pick.

VA.gov: choosing a decision review option

Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal

This table uses the VA.gov pages and 38 CFR 3.2500, checked October 16, 2026. The longer Supplemental Claim guide explains new and relevant evidence and the effective-date rule in more detail.

Option	When VA says it fits	New evidence?	Time limit	Form
Supplemental Claim	VA decided the claim before, it is not a contested claim, and 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 notice. Filing within 1 year of each decision can keep an earlier effective date.	VA Form 20-0995. Disability compensation can also be filed online.
Higher-Level Review	You believe there is an error or a difference of opinion, and you do not have new evidence. Not a contested claim.	No. A higher-level reviewer uses the same evidence.	Within 1 year of the decision on the initial claim or a Supplemental Claim. The year starts on the date on the decision letter.	VA Form 20-0996. Disability compensation can also be requested online.
Board Appeal	You want a Veterans Law Judge to review the case, after an initial claim, a Supplemental Claim, or a Higher-Level Review.	Direct Review: no. Evidence Submission: yes. Hearing: with or without new evidence.	Within 1 year of the decision on that claim or review. A contested claim is 60 days.	VA Form 10182. You can also request a Board Appeal online.

Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995)

VA.gov says you must meet both of these: VA decided the 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, or you ask for a review because the law changed, such as the PACT Act.

VA.gov says new evidence is information VA has not considered before. Relevant evidence is information that proves or disproves something in the claim. Unless the claim rests on a change in law, VA.gov says you need that evidence for the application to be complete.

38 CFR 3.2500 says you may file a Supplemental Claim at any time after VA issues notice of a decision. The same rule says that if you keep an issue going by filing a review within one year of each decision, the effective date is generally the date VA received the first claim, or the date the right to benefits began, whichever is later. The rule calls that second date the date entitlement arose. A Supplemental Claim received more than one year after the notice generally cannot have an effective date earlier than the date VA received that Supplemental Claim. The Supplemental Claim guide walks through that rule. Do not rely on this summary alone if a date is close.

VA.gov says a Supplemental Claim is not the path when a rated condition got worse. For that, you file a claim for increased disability compensation. For a disability compensation Supplemental Claim, VA.gov says you can file online. For other benefit types, you file by mail, in person, or with a VSO, using VA Form 20-0995.

Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996)

VA.gov says a higher-level reviewer looks at whether an error or a difference of opinion changes the decision. You cannot submit new evidence. The reviewer uses the same evidence as before.

VA.gov says you must meet all of these: you request the review within 1 year of the decision on your initial claim or Supplemental Claim, counting from the date on your decision letter; you do not have new evidence; and the claim is not a contested claim. VA.gov also says you cannot request a Higher-Level Review of the same issue after a previous Higher-Level Review or a Board Appeal.

You can ask for an optional, one-time informal conference so you or your representative can point out errors. VA.gov says that call may delay the review. It is not a formal hearing, and you still cannot submit new evidence.

For a disability compensation claim, VA.gov says you can request a Higher-Level Review online. For other benefit types, you use VA Form 20-0996 by mail, in person, or with an accredited representative. While one review is still pending, 38 CFR 3.2500 says you may not file a different review option for that same issue.

Board Appeal (VA Form 10182)

VA.gov says a Board Appeal may be an option if you request it within 1 year of the decision on an initial claim, a Supplemental Claim, or a Higher-Level Review. The year starts on the date on your decision letter. You can request a Board Appeal only after one of those. VA.gov says you cannot request 2 Board Appeals in a row for the same claim.

A contested claim is different. VA.gov says that is when you and someone else claim a benefit only one person can get. For that claim, you must request a Board Appeal within 60 days of the date on the decision letter. 38 CFR 3.2500 says the same 60-day limit.

When you fill out the form, you pick one lane. Direct Review means no new evidence and no hearing. Evidence Submission means you add evidence with the appeal, or within 90 days of the date VA receives the request, and you do not have a hearing. A hearing means you meet with a Veterans Law Judge, with or without new evidence. New evidence at a hearing is due at the hearing or within 90 days after it.

VA.gov lists goals for those lanes: about 365 days for Direct Review, about 550 days for Evidence Submission, and about 730 days for a hearing. Those are goals, not your timeline. An in-person hearing at the Board in Washington, D.C. means you pay your own travel. VA.gov also offers a virtual hearing and a videoconference at a VA location.

If you disagree with the Board decision, VA.gov says you can file a Supplemental Claim when you have new and relevant evidence, or appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims within 120 days from the date on the decision letter. That court appeal is filed with the Court, not with VA.

What this page does not do

This page is education and organizing only. You review the letter and the rules, and you submit the form you choose. An accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO representative can help you fill it out. VSO help on a VA claim is free.

14-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $107.99/year. Cancel anytime. Never a cut of your VA pay. No tool can promise a rating, a decision, or a dollar amount. We do not.

We do not tell you which option to pick, and we do not tell you that your evidence is enough.
We are not a VSO, a claims agent, or an attorney, and we are not part of VA.
We do not promise a new decision, a rating, or a payment.

VA.gov: get help from an accredited representative or VSO

Common questions

What can I do if VA denied my claim?

VA.gov lists 3 decision review options: a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, and a Board Appeal. You choose. This page does not pick one for you.

Which form goes with each review?

VA Form 20-0995 is the Supplemental Claim. VA Form 20-0996 is the Higher-Level Review. VA Form 10182 is the Board Appeal. For disability compensation, VA.gov also lets you start a Supplemental Claim or a Higher-Level Review online, and you can request a Board Appeal online.

Can I send new evidence with a Higher-Level Review?

No. VA.gov says the higher-level reviewer uses the same evidence and cannot consider new evidence. If you have new and relevant evidence, VA.gov points you to a Supplemental Claim or, in some lanes, a Board Appeal.

What if a rated condition got worse?

VA.gov says that is not a Supplemental Claim. You file a claim for increased disability compensation. A separate page explains what VA looks at in that claim. It is not a plan to raise a rating.

Does Veterans Benefits AI file the review?

No. You review and you submit, or an accredited representative you appoint does. We do not represent you, and we do not promise a result.

Official sources

Fetched October 16, 2026.

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.