Section D – Dependency Claims Processed by the Rules-Based Processing System (RBPS)

Updated Feb 01, 2022

In This Section

This section contains the topic “Rules-Based Processing of Dependency Claims.”

1. Rules-Based Processing of Dependency Claims

Introduction

This topic contains information about the rules-based processing of dependency claims, including

Change Date

September 24, 2020

VII.i.1.D.1.a. Purpose of RBPS

To shorten the amount of time it takes to make award adjustments involving the additional benefits payable for dependents, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed the Rules-Based Processing System (RBPS), which automatically processes claims with minimal user involvement.

VII.i.1.D.1.b. How RBPS Receives Data Necessary to Process a Claim

RBPS receives data about additional disability compensation benefits due to a claimant’s dependent(s)

from approved VA claims-submission websites when the claimant completes a question-and-answer interview to submit
- VA Form 21-686c, Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents, or
- VA Form 21-674, Request for Approval of School Attendance
when contractors manually transcribe the information from claimant-submitted forms, or
input by a designated VA employees during an in-person, telephonic, or video interview between the employees and the claimant.

VII.i.1.D.1.c. How RBPS Sorts and Processes Claims

RBPS receives dependent data via one of the methods described in M21-1, Part VII, Subpart i, 1.D.1.b, then determines whether the dependency claim is eligible for automated processing.

The table below describes what happens with the claim after its eligibility for automated processing is determined.

If the claim is …

Then …

eligible for automated processing

RBPS
- establishes an end product (EP) 130 with the appropriate claim label
- uses rules-based programming to decide the claim, and
- processes the decision through the Veterans Service Network (VETSNET)
VETSNET clears the EP 130, and
the Hines Information Technology Center
- generates a decision notice, and
- uploads the corresponding award print and decision notice into the Veteran’s electronic claims folder (eFolder).

not eligible for automated processing

RBPS establishes an EP 130 with a claim label designating it as an RBPS-rejected claim, and
the National Work Queue (NWQ) will recall and distribute the EP for any additional development and/or adjudication.

Reference: For a list of claims that are not eligible for automated processing through RBPS, see M21-1, Part VII, Subpart i, 1.D.1.d.

Notes:

If an EP 130 is already pending when RBPS places a claim under EP control, RBPS will establish an incremental EP, such as EP 131 or EP 132.
Incremental EPs created by RBPS must be
- consolidated under the EP 130 by the station that received the EP 130 for processing, and
- after consolidation, cancelled using the reason Worked Under Proper EP.

References: For more information on

requesting jurisdiction of EPs from NWQ, see the NWQ Playbook, and
claim labels used for EP 130s, see M21-4, Appendix C.

VII.i.1.D.1.d. Requests That Are Not Eligible for Automated Processing Through RBPS

The following requests are not eligible for automated processing through RBPS:

to add
- an adopted child
- a child over age 18 that is permanently incapable of self-support
- a school child whose tuition is being paid by the Federal government, or
- a dependent when
  - the payment of benefits may be subject to a withholding for attorney fees, or
  - the claimant or Veteran has a foreign address, or
to remove a spouse when there are additional dependent children on the award.

References: For more information on processing claims to add

an adopted child, see M21-1, Part VII, Subpart i, 3.B.2-4
a child over age 18 that is permanently incapable of self-support, see M21-1, Part X, Subpart ii, 6.B
a school child whose tuition is being paid by the Federal government, see M21-1, Part VII, Subpart i, 1.A.2.k
a dependent when the payment of benefits may be subject to withholding for attorney fees, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C, and
a dependent when the claimant or Veteran has a foreign address, see M21-1, Part X, Subpart i, 3.B.

VII.i.1.D.1.e. Handling Claims With Missing Claim Documents

Follow the failure-to-upload procedures in M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.A.5 upon discovering that documents associated with a claim to add a dependent to a beneficiary’s award are not available in the beneficiary’s eFolder.

VII.i.1.D.1.f. Automatic Release of Decision Notices That Reflect a Denial of Entitlement to Additional Benefits

VA systems automatically release decision notices that reflect a denial of entitlement to additional disability compensation for a dependent when the claimant is a Veteran with a single service-connected disability, or a combined disability rating that is less than 30 percent and

a 130-series EP is pending without a concurrently pending rating EP, or
an EP 020 and a 130-series EP are concurrently pending.

Upon release of a decision notice, the system that generated the notice

clears the 130-series EP, and
uploads a copy of the decision notice into the Veteran’s eFolder.

Reference: For more information on rating EPs, see M21-4, Appendix B, Section II.

38 CFR Part 3 (Click to Open)

38 CFR Part 4 (Click to Open)

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M21-1 Table of Contents

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