Department of Veterans Affairs Seal (Photo: Stan F.)
Veterans Affairs leaders have revealed that over 120,000 Veterans encountered technical obstacles while attempting to file benefit claims through the department’s online platform. This figure, approximately 35% higher than initially reported, has raised concerns among House lawmakers, who questioned the extent of these long-standing problems, some dating back over a decade.
During a hearing on the matter, Rep. Matt Rosendale, the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s technology panel, expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that while errors are inevitable, it is unacceptable for some of these issues to persist for years unnoticed.
In late August, VA officials disclosed that around 32,000 disability claims had been lost in the VA.gov computer systems for months or even years. Subsequently, an additional 57,000 cases were discovered, primarily involving Veterans attempting to modify dependents on existing disability claims.
Further investigations by Veterans Affairs Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene revealed that around 81,000 dependency claims had been misdirected within the system, along with several thousand other cases in various categories. DelBene assured that efforts were underway to promptly rectify these errors, emphasizing the importance of VA.gov as the digital front door for Veterans’ benefits and services.
While progress has been made, with approximately 26,500 dependency cases and 22,500 disability claims already processed, the delays in addressing these issues could have imposed financial hardships on affected Veterans and their families. Rep. Rosendale plans to introduce legislation to enhance oversight of online benefits systems, aiming to prevent similar problems in the future.
Despite record-high levels of benefits claims processing in recent weeks, VA staff faces significant challenges. Mandatory overtime will be required for thousands of hours over the next year to cope with the increasing workload. Willie Clark, deputy under secretary for field operations at the Veterans Benefits Administration, acknowledged the need for overtime to prevent Veterans from waiting excessively for their benefits.
Efforts are underway to hire more staff and prevent burnout among existing employees. VA officials reported record-breaking numbers of disability claims processed in fiscal 2023, and the workload is expected to continue growing this fiscal year. A considerable portion of this increase stems from new military toxic exposure claims filed through the PACT Act, with over 750,000 claims submitted in the last 13 months.
Consequently, the backlog of claims, those taking more than 120 days to complete, has risen to over 319,000, and VA officials anticipate it could reach between 450,000 and 700,000 next year. Clark anticipates that the backlog will be under control by 2025, contingent on maintaining the current processing pace.
Since early 2022, claims staff have been mandated to work 20 hours of overtime monthly, with exceptions for those facing obstacles. Leaders are exploring new processing strategies, and VA Secretary Denis McDonough has expressed plans to expand the workforce, though budgetary challenges on Capitol Hill may pose obstacles to these plans. Despite the challenges, the VA remains committed to addressing these issues and ensuring timely benefits for Veterans.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.