Veterans Affairs Processes 2M Claims Early, Slashes Backlog Ahead of Schedule

On Tuesday, Veterans Affairs officials revealed that their staff has successfully processed more than 2 million disability benefits claims this fiscal year — marking the quickest achievement of this milestone in the department's history — setting the stage for a record-breaking year in completed cases. The achievement arrives almost a month ahead of the timeline set for fiscal 2024, positioning claims workers to exceed last year’s record of 2.5 million processed claims and potentially hit 2.8 million by the conclusion of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.

According to VA Secretary Doug Collins, the 2 million processed claims account for nearly $120 billion in compensation and pension benefits disbursed to veterans and survivors since October. He attributed the success to a revitalized emphasis within the department on optimizing operations and addressing the needs of veterans. “The claims backlog has been reduced, and claims are being processed more quickly than ever for one straightforward reason: Our focus is on delivering results for veterans,” Collins stated.

The accomplishment comes after several years of increasing claims, partly due to the 2022 PACT Act, which broadened eligibility for veterans affected by toxins, resulting in hundreds of thousands of additional cases. The increase resulted in the claims backlog — first-time cases pending for over four months — exceeding 400,000 by late 2023, in contrast to approximately 70,000 before the pandemic.

Since then, officials have significantly cut down the backlog by over 200,000 claims, with almost 70,000 resolved just since February — a remarkable advancement that surpasses previous forecasts, which suggested backlog levels would remain high until 2026.

In light of recent achievements, Collins has proposed initiatives to reduce VA staffing aimed at enhancing departmental efficiency, while assuring that benefits processing will remain unaffected by any workforce cuts.

The department has consistently achieved remarkable milestones, establishing new processing records for three consecutive fiscal years, with the previous year's 2.5 million claims reaching an all-time high. Officials have indicated that, at the current pace, they are on track to surpass that milestone, continuing to make progress in providing care and benefits to veterans and their families.