what do you do if a letter from the va testing reception center shows up at your door? Does that mean you must present more evidence or your claim will be overturned?
A letter from the trial intake center is good news because it shows that the VA is moving along the very slow timeline of VA disability claims. The EIC is a 2014 addition to speed up and refine the VA disability claims process. Read on to find out what to do if you get a letter from the EIC.
what is the test intake center?
the evidence reception center (eic) is a va office in janesville, wisconsin, that processes documents related to va disability compensation. The VA requires veterans to submit all documentation to this centralized office rather than requiring them to submit documents to multiple Regional Offices (ROs). it has expedited the application and appeal process and has reduced the handling of paper documents.
the eic only handles documents related to disability claims and appeals, so there are no other va programs at this location.
You can expect to communicate a lot with the test reception center, so be sure to pay attention to any mail you receive from them. the eic may send you notices about your case, decisions about your claim, or messages about changes in general procedure. Please note that you may also receive important mail from other places, including your VA Regional Office.
get a folder or box and keep all the mail you get from va and eic. you’ll want copies of all those cards even after you’ve been compensated.
Why was the EIC established?
the eic is part of an effort to make the va more efficient and environmentally friendly by eliminating the use of paper. EIC employees scan the paperwork and send electronic copies to your Regional Office (RO) staff and the Board of Veterans Affairs.
that means there are digital backups of everything the va sends. That will help prevent the loss of military records like the 1973 fire at the National Center for Personnel Records in St. louis in which 16 million veterans’ medical records were lost.
why would i receive emails from the va testing reception center?
the eic is responsible for a significant amount of outgoing email, including some notification packets.
receiving a letter from the eic is neither good nor bad news. Most of the time it will be a notice that they received a document from you, your VSO, or your VA disability attorney. While it may seem like a lot of spam, don’t throw it away. sometimes there is important and useful information in those repetitive letters. If you work with lumber and lumber, we can go through all your va mail to find evidence to support your claim.
Which Evidence Intake Center do I use?
There is only one eic. A second facility in Newnan, Georgia, closed in 2016 when the VA centralized the system. Do not send your documents to a VA regional office, this will significantly delay your disability compensation claim.
what is the best way to send documents to va?
Your goal is to obtain the best possible outcome for your claim or appeal. doing so means sending the correct form and the correct evidence (when necessary) to the correct va location.
that can be difficult to do on your own. A VA-certified disability benefits attorney can help you navigate the VA system and make sure you don’t make any mistakes that could negatively affect your claim or appeal.
If you choose not to work with an experienced representative, an important point to remember is that you should never send them any original documents. it’s a good idea to make digital copies as well as physical copies and keep track of when and where you sent each document.
never send any original documents to the va. Make copies of everything you sendand record the date you sent it.
upload digital copies
the best way to submit files to the eic is to upload them using the links for the claims status tool and through accessva.
These online tools require you to submit digital copies of your paper documents and will provide you with a confirmation of when the VA received your documents. It also saves time because they’re already digitized, and the EIC won’t have to unpack, unfold, and scan the contents of your envelope.
If you choose to mail your documents or deliver them in person to a regional office, you will only slow down the process even more and you will not receive proof that your package was received by the VA.
fax documents
The digital upload process can be technical and confusing, so your next best option is to fax your documents to EIC. sending by fax ensures that you keep a copy of everything and you will receive a confirmation that the fax was sent. that confirmation is important.
Download the eic official evidence fax cover page, print it, and send it as the first page of your fax to 844-531-7818 or 248-524-4260.
shipment of physical copies
If you must send your documents by mail, make a photocopy of them (do not send any original documents) and send them by certified mail to this address:
department of veterans affairs claims intake centerpo box 4444janesville, wi 53547-4444
If due dates and missing documents become an issue on your claim for VA disability benefits, you’ll be glad you used certified mail. That little green postcard that proves your documents were served can come in handy when it comes to disputing your effective date.
Write your name, claim number (if you have one), date, and your regional office at the top of each piece of paper you submit. Some savvy veterans have shared on reddit that they got a rubber stamp of all that information and stamped each copied document before submitting it.
important note about sending documents by fax and mail
if you fax or mail your documents to the eic, they are scanned and stamped with the date the va received them, not the date you mailed them. keep in mind that if the postal service takes too long to deliver it, you could miss a deadline.
How long does it take for him to review the evidence?
If you have filed a claim online, you will receive a notice from VA letting you know that your application was received. If you mail or fax your application, you should receive a confirmation letter from the VA within a week or so.
Once your claim is received, the VA will conduct an initial review to determine if further evidence is needed. if you request more evidence, you must submit it as soon as possible. In the meantime, you’ll also be collecting evidence from your health care providers and various government agencies.
how long until i hear from the va about my claim?
Your va correspondence may arrive in waves. At the beginning of your application, you may receive all kinds of correspondence from the EIC to let you know that your claim has been received, is being processed, and document requests from other sources have been sent.
then you may not hear from them for months.
the benefit of working with lumber and lumber is that we track the activity of the va and will call you regularly to check. Even if there is no progress on your claim, we stay in touch.
If you have filed a new claim, it will be a few months before you hear back. As of April 2022, the VA says you have an average of 152 days for claims decisions.
If you have filed an appeal, you could be waiting anywhere from several months to 7 years (yes, unfortunately) depending on which appeal track you have chosen.
When your claim or appeal has been decided, you will receive a notification packet. this is the email you were waiting for.
what’s in your va notification packet?
Your notice packet will contain details about the VA’s decision on your case. if your appeal was denied, it will tell you why and what evidence it thought was missing. It will also tell you what steps to take if you want to appeal the decision. this is one of the most important documents to have with you when you call us for help with your appeal.
if your claim is approved, your notification package will include your award letter and va qualification decision. These documents are important to have on hand. It will also contain information on how to appeal your rating decision if you think it is too low.
You can also receive all of these electronic benefit notifications.
If you’re working with lumber and lumber, your case manager will review your grading decision to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing. we want to make sure that the effective date is correct, that the grades are added up correctly, and that no mistakes have been made.
other types of mail you may receive from the eic
when you get a letter from the eic (or any other va office), you’re probably wondering what you’ll be asked to do. And if your disability claim is settled, you may be worried about what’s inside. why do they send you an email if your rating is permanent and your case is closed?
the va can send you an email to inform you about:
- a qualifying decision
- additional compensation you may be entitled to, such as a clothing allowance or special monthly compensation (smc)
- updates on new processes in case you ever need to update your claim
talk to our va disability attorneys for free
if you need help understanding your eic mail, call woods and woods for a free legal consultation.
When you are a client of woods and woods, we take care of presenting evidence and reviewing any documents you receive. We will also contact you periodically to let you know if we have received new documents or if you request more information.
woods and woods has been fighting for injured and disabled people since 1985. our va certified disability benefits attorneys have successfully represented thousands of veterans against va.
We will send your request for free and only charge a fee if we win your appeal.
Talk to us about your claim: (866) 232-5777