VAC decision appeals...

[cmdj1982]

I was told recently by a coworker to "always reject the first offer" with VAC and it will lead to bigger payouts for disability benefits found in your favour. Basically the idea is that, like any insurance company, they lowball you on the first offer and hope you accept it so that they don't have to give a bigger payout.

Is this anyone else's experience with VAC benefits? Have you gone through the appeal process after receiving a disability claim in your favour? What was it like? Did you have to provide further evidence/testimony/substantiation that your condition was worse than the initial level they paid you out at?

Any advice/experience helps. Thanks.

 

[Dhillongs]

I highly doubt that to be true, you can always appeal if your claim is approved and maybe if they find something in your paperwork that they go back and say oh ok well maybe his determination of percentage wasn't correct they may look at it but this is VA we are talking about just getting a approval rather than denial is enough from them. I could be wrong maybe someone else has had a different experience who would share on this.

 

[gryphonv]

With Table of disabilities the %ages are pretty well defined. At least from my experience, the percent they came back with has been roughly what I expected when I applied.


If you can justify why you feel you should get higher while using the numbers laid out in the table of disabilities, I say go for it. But unless you can back up why you should get higher it is probably a waste of time.

VAC don't just throw out a random number hoping you will settle. They use the evidence you gave them, and if the decision will be favorable they apply it to the tables they have


You can always take the decision and have it reassessed at a later date also. It's not like insurance companies where you take an offer and you are considered 'settled' . They will never claw back what they awarded before, but they can always increase. As long as you are not over 100% total for all claims.