The number of first-time disability claims that have been waiting for decisions for months has now exceeded 215,000 nearly triple what it was in early 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country.
According to an article published by Military Times, “Veterans Affairs officials don’t know how bad the backlog of veteran disability claims will get this fall, but they know it’s getting worse. In a press conference with reporters on Wednesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough acknowledged that the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. “We anticipate the backlog to further increase this fall as we process claims for new presumptive conditions from the Vietnam and Gulf wars…“We’re in the field fulfilling those claims now. But we want to keep warning our veterans about what to expect, so they see what’s coming in the same way that we do.”
Relevant pages: Veterans Disability