New reviews and statistics released last month by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) show that the
backlog of claims for veterans’ disability benefits continues to grow worse despite efforts to speed up the process.
The
latest count of pending veterans’ disability claims, released on January 27, showed 853,831 cases sitting in the VA’s queue. This number was an increase of about 100,000 at this time in 2011 and almost 500,000 from 2009. Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said that
over half of those in the queue are waiting at least 6 months to hear if their claim was processed.
The
VA has processed about a million claims over the last year, but also received 1.3 million new claims in that time. Currently, there are an estimated 2.2 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and 624,000 have applied for disability benefits with more expected in the coming months.
Efforts to help reduce the backlog so far have included enhancements to electronic filing systems. In Rhode Island and Utah, the
recent paperless processing system for claims was tested and is expected to debut nationally starting this summer and running through 2013.
Budgets for the VA have also been increased by about 20% to help fund and support claims processing expedition efforts. This brings the total budget for the VA this year to $2 billion. Pressure is being put on VA officials to change the
disability rating system – considering it hasn’t been revised since WWII. Currently the
Department of Defense and the VA have conflicting systems and officials are looking to standardize them.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits
contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Category: Veterans' Disability
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Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.