According to the VA, Veterans have “applied for benefits at record rates over the past year — surpassing the previous all-time record by 39% … [delivering] $150 billion in benefits during 2023 alone.” The VA credits this increase in part to the historic PACT Act.
The VA also reports “Because of this record increase in applications, there has also been an anticipated increase in the number of claims applications that take longer than 125 days to process (otherwise known as the backlog), which is currently at 378,000 claims. While the total claims inventory has been decreasing over the last several weeks, the backlog is expected to grow in 2024 before returning to normal levels. We have been taking aggressive steps to address this increase and to ensure timely processing of your claims.”