Free tool
VA deadline calendar
Pick what happened, enter the date, and see every VA deadline it starts. Save them or send them to your phone's calendar. Nothing you enter leaves your device.
For letters, use the date printed on the letter. VA counts that as the mailing date.
Dates are counted the way 38 CFR §3.110 and §20.110 say: the day of the letter doesn't count, and if the last day lands on a weekend or federal holiday, the next workday does. Don't plan on that extra time. File early, and check each date against your letter, because some situations have different clocks (contested claims get 60 days, and VA can extend some deadlines for good cause). Confirm anything important with a free VA-accredited representative.
Saved deadlines
Nothing saved yet. Saved deadlines stay in this browser only.
The calendar file works with iPhone, Android, Outlook and Google Calendar, and adds reminders two weeks and three days before each date.
Get a heads-up when VA pay or rules change
VA pay rates usually change on December 1, and rating rules shift through the year. Join the list and we'll tell you when something changes that could affect your numbers. You also get our free Denial Decoder guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
The clocks that cost veterans the most
Most VA deadlines don't kill a claim outright. They move money. Miss the one-year window after a decision and you can usually still file a supplemental claim, but the effective date resets, and so does the back pay. That's the one people learn about too late. The guides on choosing a review lane and protecting your effective date go deeper.
The short clocks are the dangerous ones. A reduction proposal gives you 30 days to ask for a hearing that keeps your payments where they are (how reductions work). A debt letter gives you 30 days to stop VA from taking the money out of your check while it reviews your dispute or waiver (overpayments and offsets). Travel pay is 30 days from the trip.
Families have clocks too. Adding a spouse or child within a year of the event, and a survivor's DIC claim within a year of the death, both reach back further. See adding dependents and DIC and survivor benefits.
This is general education, not legal advice, and not from the VA. Deadlines depend on the exact facts and the notice you received. For your specific situation, work with a free VA-accredited representative or a Veterans Service Organization. If you're in crisis, call 988 and press 1.