Veterans service organizations are stepping up pressure on Congress after new figures showed the benefits claims backlog grew for a second consecutive year, despite the hiring of additional processing staff.
The average wait time for a disability claims decision now exceeds five months, according to figures presented at a recent hearing.
“Every month of delay is a veteran going without care they’ve already earned,” one veterans advocate testified.
The department overseeing claims processing says a new case-management system rolling out over the next year is expected to reduce average wait times significantly.
