Fort Buchanan, in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs, hosted the Retiree and Veteran’s Appreciation Day event at Fort Buchanan Community Club in 2024. (Photo: Staff Sgt. Eric Maldonado)
The VA plans to hire more than 2,000 claims processors through September 2027 after receiving more than 3.15 million claim submissions in the previous federal fiscal year.
That total was an 80 percent increase from fiscal year 2022.
The VA currently has more than 13,000 employees processing benefit claims. New workers will be assigned to regional benefits offices across the country. They will review medical records, military service information, and other evidence to determine whether individual Veterans qualify for benefits.
Related Article (March 2025): VA PLANS TO CUT OVER 80,000 JOBS AND HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTS
The hiring policy follows another record year for VA claims. The department processed 3,111,399 disability compensation claims during fiscal year 2026. VA reported that 60.1 percent of claims were granted and cited a 93.88 percent accuracy rate for the year.
About 3.2 percent of claims decisions were appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, the VA’s appeals board for Veterans who disagree with certain benefit decisions.
The VA expects demand for benefits to remain high as more Veterans seek compensation for health conditions connected to their military service.
During fiscal year 2026, the VA held more than 11,000 outreach events to connect Veterans with available benefits and services. More than 300,000 Veterans have also enrolled in VA health care during calendar year 2026.
A hiring boost could help the VA keep pace with incoming claims, but Veterans may not see an immediate change in wait times. New workers must first be hired and trained before they can begin processing claims.
The VA is also encouraging Veterans and transitioning Service Members to apply for VA benefits. One path is the Warrior Training Advancement Course, known as WARTAC.The course allows Service Members preparing to leave the military to train for VA claims-processing jobs while still on active duty. Those who complete the program may have an opportunity to work at a VA regional benefits office after separating from the military.
WARTAC also gives transitioning Service Members a direct path into federal employment while helping VA add workers who already understand military culture and service records.
The hiring comes as VA reports shorter wait times for disability claim decisions. In September, the department reported an average processing time of 75.6 days, compared with 141.5 days on Jan. 20, 2025.
The VA also said its backlog of claims waiting for decisions had fallen by more than 70 percent since Jan. 20, 2025. Continued growth in new claims could put pressure on those gains if the department does not have enough trained employees to keep up.
Veterans with pending claims can continue checking their status through VA.gov or seek help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization that assists with claims, including The American Legion.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted family connection to the military, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
