The Veterans Benefits Backlog

[pacmanx1]

It is shameful that veterans of the United States military have to wait months, and sometimes more than a year, to begin receiving the benefits they are owed after their years of service. Yet that is the case.

Almost 900,000 veterans across the country currently have claims pending for disability, pension or education benefits; nearly 600,000 of those claims are considered backlogged by the Department of Veterans Affairs — meaning they have already taken more than 125 days to process. According to a report released in March by the Center for Investigative Reporting, the average time a veteran must wait before receiving benefits is 273 days, although veterans filing their first claims wait an average of 316 to 327 days. Those filing for the first time in Los Angeles wait an average of 619 days, according to the report.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-vets-claims-backlog-20130331,0,4054036.story

[justrluk]

I agree, it is an atrocity for those that have served and are wounded, broken and is some cases forgotten. This problem won't get fixed until we vocalize and mobilize.

[john999]

The 900,000 does not take into account the numbers on appeal which is another million I think. The appeals system is beyond a disgrace. Many of us wait ten years while claims are bounced from one adjudicator to another. My CUE is seven years old at least.

[jbasser]

Here is the real story from someone who was at the hearings:

http://svr-radio.com/images/4-3-2013_Paul_Sulilivan1.mp3

[meghp0405]

you would think if a claim was remanded back to the VARO, it would then become that VARO's number one priority. I don't think it is. i also believe that the only way to change this system is to first and foremost elect politicians that are veteran friendly.

Those that are willing to make and change laws and hold those accountable for their actions or inactions. But this will never happen as long as we have this republican/democrat BS. the veterans will lose every time.

The so called leadership at the VA needs replacing and not soon enough. the secretary is just a puppet, a pawn in the chess game, it's all political with that position as it is with all secretary/cabinent positions.

claims should not be in this system longer than 7 months period! it doesn't take that long to review a claim to determine if it is service connected or not. They should use the "benefit of the doubt" rule more than what they do, to many veterans are going without due to no or missing medical records. It's not the veterans fault, why should we be punished because of it?

I'm ranting and I know that I'm speaking to the choir here, it's just time that something needs to be done and done quickly!!

[doogie]

You would think that a government that can process and pay millions possibly billions of tax forms and refunds within 6 months

Could easily process a measely 900,000 claims backlog

Shows you where the priority is

I personally think this is done because of lazy and imcompetent non caring people who are accountable to no one

[john999]

Everyone loves veterans until it is time to pay, and then we become freeloaders in the eyes of the same people who sent us into harm's way. If you begin to see articles about supposedly 100% disabled vets running businesses and working full time for big money you will know the attack is "ON". It will come from the budget hawks as usual. "We can't afford to support a bunch of lazy vets in these hard times etc." They can always find individual vets who are scamming the system while ignoring the thousands who are being scammed by their own government.