The Department of Veterans Affairs anticipates that its claims backlog, defined as those older than 125 days, will grow “potentially up to 400,000” in the next year, largely the result of the PACT Act.
The agency is now facing a delicate balancing act to process an increase of disability claims under the toxic exposure legislation passed last year, as it seeks to avoid worker burnout even as its backlog is expected to double in the coming year.
VA Undersecretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs said Monday that more than 560,000 disability compensation claims have been filed since last year under the PACT Act, the landmark legislation that broadened benefits eligibility for post-9/11 veterans and former service members from other eras sickened by exposure to environmental pollution.
Read Next: B-2 Stealth Bombers Flying Again, But Air Force Still Mum on Reason for Grounding
To handle the influx, the VA has increased its Veterans Benefits Administration workforce by 15%, hiring thousands of workers to facilitate and process claims.
According to Jacobs, the VA has received 30% more claims as a result of the legislation and expects more as the department continues outreach on eligibility, but it has taken steps to address the coming load and aims to reduce the backlog to 100,000 in 2025.
“That’s all dependent on a variety of factors … on how many veterans file claims … the complexity and the number of conditions within each of…
