The Veterans Affairs Department has reduced the number of backlogged disability claims by 74,000 since it began the verification process in March, Nextgov.com reported Wednesday.
Bob Brewin writes Thomas Murphy, director of VA’s compensation and pension service, told a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing the automated veterans benefits management system helped the department accelerate the clearing process.
The VA now has 851,229 pending claims and 565,327 or 66.4 percent of which have been waiting 125 days or more for resolution
Secretary Eric Shinseki’s goal is to process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy by the end of 2015, according to Nextgov.com.
Bernie Sanders, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman, told Nextgov.com the committee will aim to help the VA achieve its goals.
“The current backlog is unacceptable and this committee will do everything possible to make sure the VA achieves its goal. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.â€
