EFFECTIVE DATE PROTECTION DRILL

Purpose: Avoid accidentally losing deadlines, receipts, and possible back pay.
This is not legal advice. Verify current filing and review deadlines through VA.gov or an accredited representative.

1. Save every decision letter.
2. Write the decision date in your tracker.
3. Calculate the one-year review deadline when applicable.
4. Save every upload receipt and confirmation.
5. Before filing something new, ask whether it should instead be Supplemental Claim, HLR, Board appeal, or increased-rating claim.
6. Do not accidentally reset or abandon a claim path without understanding the effective-date risk.

Prompt to use:
Review this decision letter or claim history for effective-date risk. Identify the decision date, one-year deadline if applicable, issue history, whether continuous pursuit may matter, whether this looks like a new claim, Supplemental Claim, HLR, Board appeal, or increased-rating issue, and what documents I should save as proof. Do not give legal guarantees.
