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Posted on 11/18/2025 11:17:14 AM PST by Red Badger
Department processed an all-time high of 3M claims in FY25
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA compensation and pension benefits has dropped by more than 57% since the start of the second Trump Administration.
A VA claim for compensation or pension is considered backlogged once it has been pending for more than 125 days. Since President Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20, the backlog has dropped from 264,717 to 112,353, a 57% reduction.
The backlog reduction VA announced today was made possible through a series of record-breaking production milestones, including:
VA processed an all-time high of 3,001,734 disability compensation and pension claims in fiscal year 2025 — shattering the previous record of 2.49 million set in FY 2024.
VA processed one million disability claims by Feb. 20 — faster than ever before in a given fiscal year.
VA had its single most productive claims processing day, May 29, with 15,364 claims processed.
In July, VA processed the highest number of claims in a month in history, with 300,799 claims processed.
12-month claims processing accuracy also improved to 93.5% in September 2025, up from 91.6% in October 2024.
VA’s record-breaking FY 2025 performance also included distributing $195 billion in compensation and pension benefit payments to more than 6.9 million Veterans and survivors.
“Under President Trump, VA is constantly raising the bar for customer service and convenience,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Our record claims processing productivity is proof these efforts are working. Veterans deserve fast and accurate claims decisions, and we look forward to continuing to deliver amazing results to those who have worn the uniform.”
Backlog Background Info
The Biden Administration oversaw a 24% increase in the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits, from 213,189 on Jan. 20, 2021, to 264,717 on Jan. 20, 2025.
VA’s backlog reached its highest point ever of 611,000 in March of 2013.
VA achieved its lowest backlog ever of 64,738 in December of 2019.
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VA PING!.....................
Sorry, but I’ll believe it when I see it. I’d also like to see how many of that percentage where denials. I’ll bet the majority were. Just because they’ve sped up the process doesn’t mean veterans are getting favorable results.
Veteran’s Disability is a really bad way to phrase this. It should be Veteran’s Injury.
A guy is in the Army and volunteers for jump school. Goes to jump school. Graduates. And then does periodic training. And gets hurt during a jump. Goes to the base hospital. Gets seen, diagnosed and treated.
He walks out, slight limp.
The limp does NOT worsen. He leaves the Army and is informed one day that he can get compensation for that injury. He’s not **disabled**. He walks around and leads a normal life. But he hurts when bending in some direction.
This is a long term, probably for life, injury that occurred on active duty.
He is informed he can apply for compensation for that lifetime injury. The VA sends him to an exam. Surveys his military medical records. Then based on all the evidence, they decide that yes, he is hurt, it will continue forever, and it is connected to his service.
He’ll get rated XX% disabled. WRONG WORD. But that’s the label. And he’ll be paid about $190/month per 10% of rating. So 20% would be $380, etc. Not exact numbers, but this is the general concept. A minor to moderate lifetime back injury will be about 20%, and that’s a guess, not even informed.
Then someone in his course of life is told that he’s on VA disability and exclaims “I just saw him walking to his car!!! What a fraud!!”
Just an FYI to folks.
True, and how many died waiting?...............
The scale for dollars paid for a given percentage of disability isn’t linear. From 90 to 100 percent disability means a lot more $$$ than a jump from 70-80%.
I’m close to 2000 days on a disability BVA hearing under the AMA...
Total:1956 days
Or 5 years, 4 months, 7 days including the end date.
Or 64 months, 7 days including the end date.
VA.GOV still says waiting for a BVA judge.
The whole system is a F’n mess.
I’ve said the same thing many times.....................
Took me 28 years for full rating. Got it on appeal. Total rated LoD injuries added up to 220% with an additional 80% outstanding. All Service-Connected, Line of Duty injuries.
“Perhaps the hospitals would need a VA liaison person or team and perhaps there would have to be some limits on the kind or amount of care the vet can receive.”
They have those, plus the Red Vest volunteers out front. They’re the best. They’re just veterans whom, best I can tell, just want to remain in an organization, being useful. They know the ropes and can assist getting vets to the right place and care. Imo they are best for PTSD cases. Sincere and easy to talk to. They understand most issues and can relate to other vets.
I first applied back in the 90’s for a disability for hearing loss and was turned down almost immediately without any exams or anything.
Then came the Camp Lejeune poison water case which I was covered in because I was stationed there for 3 years.
I got into the ‘system’ under those rules.
Then I got an examination approved by the VA to go to a local audiologist and guess what? She discovered I was damn near deaf!
I got new hearing aides and a disability from the VA after only 20 years!
But as I understand it, if you are finally approved for a disability, they owe you from the date of your first application.
So then wouldn’t they owe me for 20 years of back dated payments?
I don’t really know..................
Hearing loss progresses. It may have been caused by active duty (everyone gets annual firearms training) but the degree of hearing loss is not constant.
When you first applied the amount of loss may have been less than it is now and insufficient then to be awarded XX% of disabled.
So your backpay would date to when you filed your first intent to file with the current level of hearing loss, not the original level of hearing loss.
Yes, but the first application was rejected via form letter without any tests to confirm the loss.
Like a bureaucrat just had a bad day and wanted to make others have one too.............
Hmmm. If there had been no tests to confirm hearing loss, then you don’t have hearing loss. That would mean 0% loss at that time to now, with XX% loss.
Claims require a current official diagnosis. Some evidence of it existing during active duty. And then what they call a nexus . . . evidence of connection of current diagnosis to the event on active duty. If you lack any 1 of those 3, you will not have the claim approved.
If you had no exam, you had no diagnosis back then, and therefore 0% hearing loss.
Gotta dot the i’s and cross all the t’s.
That’s circular logic.......................
If you have no diagnosis, then the VA can’t declare you to have hearing loss. I don’t see 20 yrs of back pay happening, but you can ask.
Now you have a diagnosis and now they can declare it.
I retired 18+ years ago. Folks were telling me “Go to VA and apply for disability.” Nothing wrong with me and I wanted to deploy as a DOD civilian, so I didn’t go to VA. I think a lot folks bog down the “system” with fraudulent claims... Or should I say “embellished” claims...
I, very belatedly< filed a claim for my ruined hearing several years ago,
Should have done it 40+ years ago but had a very bad VA experience with a housing loan application.
Finally did it after getting in the VA system as part of retiring.
Had a veterans advisor help with the paperwork, went for a hearing test, and now get 50%.
Does not make up for the years of being half deaf, but.............No way to know if the VA would have been as easy to deal with as this last episode.
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