What is in a VA C-File, and when should you request it?

A VA claims file, usually called a C-File, is the history VA maintains for a veteran’s benefit claims. It can be useful when the question is not just “what did VA decide?” but “what records and examinations were in front of VA when it decided?”

Depending on the claim history, a C-File may include:

• Rating decisions and notification letters

• C&P examination reports and DBQs

• Service treatment or personnel records obtained by VA

• Medical records and statements submitted as evidence

• Requests for records, development letters, and correspondence

• Internal worksheets, code sheets, and other claim-processing records

A C-File can help you reconstruct a timeline, locate an older exam, compare evidence lists, or understand a prior denial. It may also be very large and repetitive. A document appearing in the file does not prove VA relied on it correctly, and an apparent omission should be verified before drawing a conclusion.

VA allows veterans to request their own C-File and other compensation records using a Privacy Act request, including VA Form 20-10206.

Claim Raven C-File guide: https://claimraven.com/claims-guide/c-file

Official VA personal-records request: https://www.va.gov/forms/20-10206/request-personal-records/

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