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VA Form 20-0996 Printable, Fillable in PDF – In the event that a veteran believes he or she has been unfairly classified and wishes to have his or her claim evaluated by a decision review officer (DRO) at one of the VA’s Decision Review Operations Centers, a higher level review (HLR) claim may be made (DROCs). Higher-level review is one of three forms of appeals launched as part of the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program in 2017. It is one of the three categories of appeals available. A claim must be examined using the evidence of record available to the VA at the time of the earlier judgment, according to this provision. The filing of an HLR appeal will send the veteran’s claim to a new rater, namely a DRO, although it is possible that the veteran’s claim may not get a different scheduled disability rating if both raters read the existing evidence in the same manner. However, even if the claim is rejected, applying for an HLR may still be beneficial since it can provide the veteran more time to gather further information in support of his or her claim if he or she is on the verge of missing an appeal deadline.
Do You Know How To Fill Out VA Form 20-0996?
Section 1 – Information on the claimant’s identifying characteristics is set out
- In the form, boxes 1-12 need just personal information, making them the most straightforward to complete. For DIC claims, you must provide the following information: full name, social security number, VA file number; date of birth; service number; insurance policy number; claimant’s name (applicable for DIC claims); claimant type; current mailing address; telephone number; email address; and benefit type. Because you may only choose one benefit type on a single HLR form, if you want to submit HLR appeals for multiple benefit claims, you will need to complete a new VA Form 20-0996 for each benefit type you intend to challenge.
Section 2 – Alternatives for Higher-Level Review
- You will be asked in Box 13 if you would want your HLR to be assessed in the same office where your original decision was evaluated. If you say yes, Box 14 will appear. Your HLR appeal will be automatically sent to a different office to perform the review if you do not select the box under this question. If you choose to tick the option, the VA may still be unable to accommodate your request, but it will make every effort to put your HLR with the same office as your HLR.
- An informal meeting with the higher-level reviewer will be requested in Box 14, and you or your accredited representative will be asked whether you or your accredited representative would want to seek one. It is possible to point out mistakes of fact or law in a prior judgment through an informal discussion over the phone, which occurs between you or your representative and the higher-level reviewer. If you would want to have an informal conference, please tick the appropriate option. The boxes below that include time slots that may be requested, and you should pick no more than two from the available options. Please provide the contact information for your representative in the shaded box towards the bottom of the page if you would want the VA to contact him or her directly in order to organize an informal discussion with you.
Section 3 – Issues that should be subjected to higher-level review
- This is the box where you will identify which concerns from your most recent choice you would want to have reviewed at a higher level. The precise concerns you want to be evaluated should be included in column 15a, and in the adjacent box in column 15b, the date of the VA judgment that made a determination on the matter should be listed.
Section 4 – Attestation and Signature
- In this step, you will sign and date the application for HLR, therefore allowing the VA to utilize the information you have provided.