New and relevant evidence

New and relevant evidence is the standard a supplemental claim must meet. New means evidence that was not part of the record when the VA last decided the issue. Relevant means evidence that tends to prove or disprove a matter at issue in that claim. Both halves have to be satisfied, and the standard is set at 38 CFR 3.2501.

The current standard replaced the older new and material requirement when the present decision review system took effect in February 2019. What counts in practice is concrete: a private treatment record the VA never held, a record that existed all along but never reached the file, or a new examination documenting current severity. Restating evidence already in the record is not new, and a document unrelated to the issue decided is not relevant, however recent it is.

The standard is why record completeness before a decision matters. Evidence gathered after a denial has to travel back through a supplemental claim to be considered, which adds a cycle to the timeline. Which review option fits a given decision stays claims work for the veteran and their accredited representative or VSO.