Congratulations! You and your service officer have successfully navigated the VA bureaucracy labyrinth and have obtained an approved claim. To get the most out of your approval, these should be your next steps.

First, make certain your current benefits remain in place. On rare occasions, if the claim alters your disability rating, the benefits you received could no longer be in place. An example of this is if you were on 100% Disability, and after a claim is processed, your rating could be reduced to 90% or lower. That would stop your access to VA Dental benefits.

This usually only happens if you have recovered from a critical event, such as surgery, where you are determined to be 100% disabled temporarily until you’ve completed recovery. As I stated, such an action is rare. It is far more common that an administrative mistake is made, which can be quickly adjusted once pointed out.

Second, make an appointment related to your approved claim. Let’s use peripheral neuropathy in your feet as an example. If you now have this as part of your disability rating, make sure you get a referral to the Neurology and Podiatry Clinics if there is any change in your condition. It took you and your service officer months to get your claim approved; now make use of it.

Third, you need to determine if you have any new benefits. These can include Veterans Readiness and Employment (formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation), VA Life Insurance, and a host of others. Your service officer can help you decide which ones are the best choice for you.

Fourth, repeat the third step at the state level. Every state has its own Veterans Bureau or Department with a list of benefits. They can run from free, veteran license plates to reduced tuition at a state school or a break on property taxes.

Finally, make sure your effective date is correct. Remember that Intent to File form you submitted at the start of all this? Your effective date for your approved claim is the date that the VA received and notated it. Even if it doesn’t mean back pay on a disability pension, that date needs to be accurate to show how long the VA recognizes the condition. Why? It can be a contributing factor to another claim in the future.

Remember, these are your benefits. You’ve earned them for yourself and your family. Now is the time to use them. Make sure you are checking out our whole series: VSO 101!

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