{"id":61736,"date":"2022-06-27T13:16:14","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T13:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/27\/overdue-veterans-disability-claims-down-almost-a-quarter-in-last-four-months\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:55:33","slug":"overdue-veterans-disability-claims-down-almost-a-quarter-in-last-four-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2022\/06\/27\/overdue-veterans-disability-claims-down-almost-a-quarter-in-last-four-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Overdue veterans disability claims down almost a quarter in last four months"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Veterans Affairs disability claims backlog<\/a> has dropped by almost 25% in the last four months, indicating that hiring and overtime efforts are making a significant dent in the pending workload<\/a>, department officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 21, the total number of backlogged files \u2014 claims that have been pending for more than four months \u2014 was at 187,540. The figure had been as low as 70,000 claims before the start of the American coronavirus pandemic<\/a> in early 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, partial closures of benefits offices slowed processing of the disability claims. At the same time, the volume of new claims (particularly ones in recent years tied to the expansion of illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War) increased, putting additional pressure on the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\t