According to a recent report from the Office of the Inspector General, the case backlog to receive benefits through the Veterans Administration (VA) is worse than originally thought. A detailed article on the results of this new investigation is available here.
The VA inspector general has identified tens of thousands of cases for benefits that have been either ignored or omitted by department officials. According to their calculations, they “significantly understated the number of claims awaiting decisions for over 125 days.”
Investigators say the backlog as originally reported covers only 79% of relevant cases. They state others have been mistakenly excluded, misclassified, or only marked overdue after processing. VA officials state they are: “reviewing how best to supplement or adjust reporting on the rating-related backlog.” They plan to have new training and standards in place by the end of the year.
The number of cases taking over 125 days to complete rose to 611,000 in March 2013 before settling to 70,000 in September 2015. The number has held between 70,000 and 100,000 each week for the last three years.
At the same time, the total number of applications continued to rise. The inspector general cites another 63,600 overdue cases were omitted for unknown reasons—while 10,000 more were recorded incorrectly.
Therefore, this backlog is predicted to grow as the number of applicants increases. It is unfortunate that veterans who have dutifully served our country and sacrificed so much are forced to wait long periods of time to receive the benefits they need.
We Can Help
If you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.
Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment; call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.
Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.
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