Weird that even 10% felt like an impossible hump. Thankful to have gotten it service connected honestly.
UPDATE: I went to sick call and saw provider will on Active Duty. I was prescribe tret, benzoyl peroxide and hydrocortisone -- and I still use all of these till this day. Since my flare ups began on AD, my skin never returned to normal so I had no problem showing how PFB still affects me.
This is by no means meant to be bragging. I’m just sharing my experience with having a hardship flag in case it helps anyone else who currently has one or is considering requesting one.
My initial claim was decided on Day 74, with 1 condition rated, 4 denied, and 4 deferred. For the deferred claims, ACE reviews were scheduled within 2 days, and I received an updated decision letter within about 2 weeks.
After receiving that decision, I filed a Higher-Level Review (HLR). I received my first scheduling call just 3 days later. I missed that call because I wasn’t expecting everything to move that quickly, but I received another call 2 days later and was able to complete my Informal Conference (IC) on the spot.
As of today, I’m waiting on the decision from my HLR/IC. I can’t say what the outcome will be, but the conversations I’ve had so far sounded favorable.
Just wanted to share my timeline for anyone else going through the VA claims process with a hardship flag. Everyone’s claim is different, but hopefully this gives someone an idea of how quickly things can move.
Has been in Step 5 with TJ for 6 days, how much longer should I expect? I also have a hardship claim on my account. Had about 4 ACE exams and they were turned in on 9/1
Very insane to think of how delayed this process was. A month ago (July 20th), I was advised it would be finished up by the end of July -- still appreciative non the less.