Veterans Affairs officials are hiring in excess of 2,000 additional claims processors to help cope with the increase in backlogged cases, the biggest that the department has experienced in seven years.
According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “Department officials are also planning to use mandatory overtime for thousands of already-working claims staff and emergency coronavirus pandemic funding to help stem the problem. Even with that, Veterans Benefits Administration officials expect it to take two and a half years to bring the backlog back down to pre-pandemic levels. But they also are insisting veterans waiting on their claims to be processed should not panic.”