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Backlog of veterans’ disability claims improving

On Behalf of | Jan 7, 2014 | Veterans' Issues

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been dealing with a backlog of disability claims for quite some time now. Many veterans with disabilities have been waiting for a long time to have their disability claims reviewed and hopefully approved. 

The disability backlog has created many challenges for veterans who suffered disabling injuries and illnesses. Not receiving disability benefits right away can make it difficult to pay for necessary medical treatment and care, and the backlog has been a significant issue for millions of veterans in the United States.

The disability backlog has impacted millions of lives, but the VA recently reported that they have reduced the backlog and waiting time for veterans’ disability claims. Back in March, the VA reported 608,000 pending disability claims. Now, there are 393,000 claims pending.

The VA said the reduction in backlog claims was in part due to the mandatory overtime the agency was required to work as well as the new computer processing system that helped process more disability claims. 

The reduction in pending VA disability claims is a good sign, and the VA said they expect the backlog to be eliminated by 2015. The VA defines backlogged claims as any disability claim that is pending for more than 125 days. The VA said they plan to have all disability claims processed within 125 days by 2015 with a 98 percent accuracy rate. 

Veterans should be aware of the disability claim backlog in the U.S., especially if they have suffered a disabling injury. Veterans deserve to have their claims reviewed in a timely matter so hopefully the VA will continue to reduce the backlog and take steps to prevent more backlogs in the future. 

Source: PBS, “Veterans Affairs reduces disability claims backlog by one third since March,” Dec. 30, 2013

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