An increase in the veteran population including those with traumatic brain injuries and expanded eligibility for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure as well as issues with the design and implementation of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s compensation program have contributed to an increase in processing timeframes and growth in the disability compensation claims backlog, GAO has said.
VBA regional offices have been shifting resources away from appeals and toward claims in recent years, which has lengthened appeals timeframes. Prospects for improvement remain uncertain because timely processing remains a daunting challenge, according to GAO-13-89.
VBA’s backlog reduction plan—its key planning document—does not articulate performance measures for each initiative, including their intended impact on the claims backlog, GAO said, adding that the extent to which VA is positioned to meet its goals remains uncertain.
It said the VA also has not yet reported on how these efforts have affected processing times, a condition that raises concern given the mixed results that have emerged to date.
VA concurred with recommendations to partner with military officials to reduce timeframes to gather records from National Guard and Reserve sources, partner with SSA to reduce timeframes to gather SSA medical records, and ensure the development of a robust plan for its initiatives that identifies performance goals that include the impact of individual initiatives on processing timeliness.