Veteran Appeal to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB)

Fill-in-the-blank template for appealing a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) disability-benefits decision to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB).

This is a structural template, not legal advice. VRAB hearings are non-adversarial and you may be represented for free by the Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA) or a Royal Canadian Legion Service Officer. Where possible, get a representative to file and present your case. Customize every bracketed field with your own facts and evidence.

📋 How the VRAB appeal works (read first)

Departmental review (within VAC). Before VRAB, you may request a written departmental review and submit new evidence not in your original application. A VAC adjudicator re-decides.
Review Hearing (first VRAB level). Heard by two Board Members, in person across Canada or by video/teleconference. You are encouraged to attend and testify; travel may be reimbursed. Hearings last about 30 minutes. Goal: a written decision within six weeks.
Appeal Hearing (second and final VRAB level). Heard by three Board Members (different from your review panel), usually in Charlottetown. You are not required to attend; the decision is final and binding. Goal: a written decision within six weeks.
Reconsideration. If new, credible evidence appears, or an error in fact or law is found, you can ask VRAB to reopen the case (not routine).
Judicial review. The final avenue is a judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada — only for errors of law/fact or overlooked facts — and you have 30 days to apply. BPA lawyers are not mandated to represent you at the Federal Court.

VRAB can hear appeals about Pain and Suffering Compensation, Disability Pension, Disability Award, Critical Injury Benefit, Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation, Attendance Allowance, Exceptional Incapacity Allowance, Clothing Allowance, the Compassionate Award, and final War Veterans Allowance appeals.

Sources: VAC — How to review or appeal a decision; VRAB — A Guide to Review and Appeal Hearings

📝 Statement of Case (fill in)

YOUR DETAILS

Full legal name: [YOUR FULL LEGAL NAME] VAC client / service number: [NUMBER] Date of birth: [DATE] Branch of service: [CAF / RCMP / Other] Dates of service: [START] to [END] Release character / date: [DETAILS] My VAC Account email / contact: [EMAIL / PHONE] Representative (if any): [Bureau of Pensions Advocates / Legion Service Officer / Private / Self-represented]

THE DECISION YOU ARE APPEALING

VAC decision date: [DATE OF DECISION LETTER] Decision reference / claim number: [REFERENCE] BenefitDecision type: [Pain and Suffering Compensation / Disability Pension / Disability Award / Critical Injury Benefit / Other] What VAC decided: [e.g., “Denied entitlement for [CONDITION]” / “Granted but assessment too low”] Reasons given by VAC (quote or summarize): [PASTE REASONS]

GROUNDS OF APPEAL

State, in plain language, why the decision is wrong. Pick the grounds that apply.

1. Entitlement — the condition is related to service.

I submit that [CONDITION] is related to my service because [EXPLAIN: training incident, deployment, occupational hazard, specific event or cumulative exposure, with dates].

2. Assessment — the severity / impact is under-rated.

VAC assessed my condition at [X]% but the medical evidence shows [SEVERITY / IMPACT ON DAILY LIFE / QUALITY OF LIFE], which warrants a higher assessment.

3. New evidence not before VAC.

Since the decision, the following new evidence has become available: [LIST MEDICAL REPORTS, SPECIALIST OPINIONS, SERVICE RECORDS]. This was not part of the original application.

4. Error in fact or law (for reconsideration / appeal).

The decision contains an error in fact because [EXPLAIN], and/or an error in law because [EXPLAIN].

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Service and onset.

I served as [ROLE / TRADE] from [START] to [END]. During service, on or around [DATE / PERIOD], I [DESCRIBE THE SERVICE EVENT OR EXPOSURE THAT CAUSED OR AGGRAVATED THE CONDITION].

Diagnosis and treatment.

I was diagnosed with [CONDITION] by [DR. NAME, SPECIALTY] on [DATE]. I have been treated with [TREATMENTS / MEDICATIONS / THERAPY] and continue to experience [SYMPTOMS AND LIMITATIONS].

Impact on daily life.

Because of this condition I am limited in [WORK, SELF-CARE, FAMILY LIFE, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES] as follows: [SPECIFIC EXAMPLES].

EVIDENCE YOU ARE RELYING ON

VAC decision letter being appealed
Service records / proof of service (CAF or RCMP)
Specialist medical report stating diagnosis and, where possible, causation/connection to service
Family physician records
Treatment / hospital records
Any new evidence not before VAC
Previous VAC assessments / Table of Disabilities reference (if disputing assessment)
Eligibility Entitlement Guidelines reference for your condition (if helpful)

RELIEF SOUGHT

I respectfully request that the Board:

Allow this appeal and find that [CONDITION] is related to my service (entitlement), and/or
Re-assess the severity/impact of my condition (assessment), and
Vary the decision accordingly, with the appropriate effective date.

Respectfully submitted,

[SIGNATURE] [NAME] [DATE] [CONTACT INFO]

✅ EVIDENCE CHECKLIST

Must-have

Copy of the VAC decision you are appealing
Proof of service (CAF/RCMP records)
A clear medical diagnosis from a qualified practitioner
Evidence connecting the condition to service (event, exposure, or aggravation during service)

Helpful

Witness statements (serving members who observed the event/exposure)
Service medical records showing onset or reporting during service
Timeline of treatment since release

🆓 FREE HELP TO APPEAL

Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA) — free legal advice and representation for VAC disability-benefits reviews and VRAB hearings. VAC — Bureau of Pensions Advocates
Royal Canadian Legion Service Officers — free assistance. Legion — Assistance with VAC
Private representative — at your own cost; notify the Board in writing if you are privately represented or self-represented.