Why does my appeal at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) take so long, and what is the Board doing about it?

The Board understands that many Veterans and appellants have been waiting a long time for a decision. We acknowledge that this wait can be very frustrating and want to explain why getting a Board decision can take a long time, and what options are available to Veterans and appellants that may reduce the time they have to wait for a decision. The Board also recognizes that each and every case has a unique set of facts and circumstances that our Board judges must carefully evaluate and appropriately resolve according to governing laws, regulations, and choices that Veterans make about how they want their appeals to be reviewed. During the past three years, the Board has substantially increased the number of judges, attorneys, and staff necessary to conduct hearings and decide more appeals at a faster rate. Pending appeals have dropped during each of the past two years and wait times peaked last year and have started to decrease considerably.