Plain-language guides to VA letters
Each guide takes one kind of VA letter and tells you what it is, what to look for and the deadlines that come with it, with the official source cited. When you're ready, decode your own letter for free and see every point quoted from your own document.
These guides are general information and don't replace what your own letter says. ServiceRecord is not a law firm. For your specific situation, a VSO or accredited representative can help, free.
How to read a VA rating decision letter
A rating decision letter is VA's written decision on a compensation claim. It states what was granted, denied, or deferred, any disability percentage assigned, the effective date, and the reasons behind each call.
Read the Guide →What a C&P exam notice means
A Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam notice tells you VA needs a medical exam to help decide your claim. The examiner does not decide the claim — they complete a questionnaire a rater later uses.
Read the Guide →The three VA decision review options, explained
Under the Appeals Modernization Act, if you disagree with a VA decision you generally choose among three review lanes: a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board appeal.
Read the Guide →Understanding a VA debt or overpayment letter
A VA debt or overpayment letter says VA paid you money it believes you weren't entitled to — often after a change in dependents, income, or status — and that it intends to collect.
Read the Guide →Dependency and DIC decision letters
These letters decide dependent status or survivor benefits — adding or removing a dependent, or deciding a claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for a surviving spouse, child, or parent.
Read the Guide →What to do about a proposed rating reduction
A proposed rating reduction is one of the highest-stakes letters VA sends, because it threatens a benefit you're already being paid. The most important thing to know first: a proposal is not a final decision.
Read the Guide →How to read a Board of Veterans' Appeals decision
A Board of Veterans' Appeals decision is written by a Veterans Law Judge and decides each issue on your appeal. Its order grants, denies, remands, or dismisses — often several at once.
Read the Guide →Statement of the Case (SOC) and SSOC: the legacy appeal deadline
In the legacy (pre-2019) appeal system, a Statement of the Case (SOC) — or a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) — explains the evidence, laws, and reasons behind VA's decision after a Notice of Disagreement.
Read the Guide →Reading a Higher-Level Review decision
A Higher-Level Review decision is the outcome of a senior reviewer taking a fresh look at the same evidence in your case — no new evidence is added in this lane.
Read the Guide →Have a letter in front of you? Decode it in plain language, free, with every deadline cited from your own document.
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