An already service-connected condition got worse
VA describes this as an increased claim. Current evidence should show how the service-connected disability has worsened.
Official VA evidence guidance ↗RETURNING VETERAN PATHWAY — FOUNDING PUBLIC BETA
I filed years ago. Now what?
Maybe you filed once, got a decision, got frustrated, stopped looking at it, or never understood what the decision meant. Maybe a condition is worse now. Maybe new records, a new diagnosis, or a change in law exists. Start with what happened then and what changed now—not with guilt about how long it has been.
Twenty years later can be a different problem than twenty days later.
VA says a post-service disability claim does not have a general filing time limit, although the process can become more complex the longer you wait. A past denial, a worsening already-service-connected disability, a new secondary condition, and a recent decision you disagree with are different lanes and should not be treated as one generic “reopen my claim” problem.
Start with the old decision letter if you have it.Identify the condition or issue, what VA decided, the decision date, the reason given, and what has changed since then. If the letter is missing, use the official records pathway rather than guessing from memory.
FIND THE CURRENT LANE
What changed since the last time you dealt with VA?
The right current pathway depends on the facts. MDN does not decide which claim you should file; it helps you identify the question that needs an official answer.
VA denied the issue in the past
A Supplemental Claim may be available when there is new and relevant evidence or, in some situations, a qualifying change in law.
Official Supplemental Claim guidance ↗The condition appeared or was recognized after service
VA recognizes post-service claims. The evidence still has to support the applicable service-connection requirements, and older cases may require more record reconstruction.
Official claim-type guidance ↗I received a recent decision and disagree
Higher-Level Review, Supplemental Claim, and Board Appeal have different evidence rules and time limits. The decision letter controls the deadline.
Official decision-review options ↗A new condition may be connected to an existing one
VA separately describes secondary service-connected claims. Do not assume the relationship; identify the evidence needed to establish it.
Official secondary-claim evidence guidance ↗I do not even know what my old record says anymore
Start by reconstructing the service and claim record. Broken service, former names, multiple service periods, and missing records should stay visible rather than being collapsed into one timeline.
Check service-history continuity →EFFECTIVE DATES & OLD DECISIONS
Do not assume filing today automatically reaches back to the original claim date.
Effective-date rules are separate from whether a current claim or review pathway is available. VA notes that Supplemental Claims can be filed at any time, but filing within one year of a decision can matter for preserving an effective date. Older decisions can involve facts and legal questions that deserve accredited help rather than internet guesswork.
BUILD THE PICTURE BEFORE YOU FILE
You may have more than one issue now.
A Veteran returning after 10 or 20 years may be dealing with a worsening rated condition, an old denial, a never-filed condition, a secondary condition, Special Monthly Compensation questions, Individual Unemployability, records under an old name, or benefits that were never investigated. Keep those questions separate so one issue does not overwrite another.
WHEN TO HAND OFF
Some old cases deserve a qualified set of eyes.
If the issue involves an old final decision, a disputed effective date, a possible clear and unmistakable error theory, missing service records, complicated service history, survivor issues, or uncertainty about the correct review lane, use an accredited representative, claims agent, or attorney as appropriate. MDN should help you arrive at that conversation organized—not pretend to replace it.
VATypes of claims and when to file
Post-service and increased-claim pathways, including VA's warning that older cases can become more complex.
Open official source ↗VASupplemental Claims
Current new-and-relevant-evidence rules and the distinction between a past denial and a worsening rated condition.
Open official source ↗VADecision review FAQs
Current review options, common one-year timing rules, and effective-date cautions.
Open official source ↗Source review: August 28, 2026.Official notices and current VA guidance control. This page is educational navigation and does not determine service connection, rating, effective date, entitlement, or the correct legal strategy for an individual case.