One of the biggest and most accurate complaints lobbied against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is that they are too slow and bogged down by records. We have heard time and again that the veterans benefits process would be sped up but have yet to see real results. The Washington Post reports that this may soon be changing, as VA officials claim the backlog have been cut by 44 percent since reaching its zenith in March 2013.
New data shows that the number of claims in processing for more than 125 days dropped to 344,000. Last year, this was at 611,000. VA also claims that it has improved accuracy from 83 percent in 2011 to 91 percent in March 2014. The average wait time for benefits has also shortened from 282 days in March 2013 to 119 days now, VA officials say. However, the Post said American Legion official Zachary Hearn told a Congressional hearing that there were errors in 55 percent of the cases it reviewed.
He said the department has “greatly reduced the claims backlog, but we still have concerns with accuracy and the rapid manner in which they are adjudicated.
Moving forward, VA officials must ensure that not only are claims being reviewed in a timely manner, but they are determining benefits accurately as well.
The reality is that VA is not accurately adjudicating veterans claims, nor can the process be reasonably characterized as timely. A veteran applying for a disability claim lingers while the VA promises that they are reducing the claim backlog; It’s mostly lip service to keep Congress at bay.
The Law Offices of Harold W. Conick & Associates does it’s best to assist its veteran clients in benefits in a timely fashion.
