The Department of Veterans Affairs exceeded its goal of delivering 81,000 appeals decisions of disability benefit claims to veterans two weeks earlier than expected, the department reported Tuesday.
The VA pledged to reduce wait times for appeals decisions in fiscal year 2018. As of Sept. 14, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals made 28,000 more decisions than they had the previous year and surpassed the 81,000 target.
“The Board’s historic achievement delivering results to veterans and their families reflects VA’s hard work and commitment to getting it right for our Veterans under the leadership of President Trump,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Together, we have achieved significant results for our nation’s veterans, as each of the more than 81,000 decisions produced by the Board can make a real difference in their lives and for their families.”
One hundred and eighty-six new attorneys were hired to go through the claims. The VA plans to hire 30 more by Sept. 30 to keep up the momentum.
The announcement comes as the VA is preparing to implement the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, which is to take full effect on Feb. 14, 2019. The new law aims to make the complex appeals process simpler, quicker, and more transparent.
The news also comes after a VA Office of the Inspector General report found that the department has been underestimating the number of disability claims in its backlog. The reported numbers are estimated to only cover 79 percent of claims.
Last week, the VA reported that there were 85,906 claims that have gone without decisions for more than 125 days.
