VA Disability Pegged at $54b in 2013

Disability compensation for veterans reached $54 billion in 2013, amounting to 70 percent of total mandatory spending by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), according to an Aug. 7 report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The remaining 30 percent covered other programs, including housing, education, and vocational training. The Department of Veterans Affairs authorized VBA to pay disability compensation to 3.5 million of the nation’s 22 million veterans in 2013.