Claims backlog continues to grow with latest figures showing a 17.3% increase since the first of the year.

by Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org

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In May of this year I wrote about the VA's benefits claims backlog standing at 13% higher than the first of the year.  That article here ...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/
nf09/nfmay09/nf051209-1.htm

Last month, I updated the information.  The backlog had jumped to 16%.  That article here ...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/0
9/nf09/nfjul09/nf072809-4.htm

At that time I wrote:

Now, we have taken a look at the latest Monday Morning Workload Report for July 27, 2009 ...
http://www.vba.va.gov/REPOR
TS/mmwr/2009/072709.xls

The 916,456 claims backlog reported a little over two months ago has ballooned to 936,690 ... an increase of 16% since the first of the year.

The VA will testify at a hearing of the
Senate Committee on Veterans'
Affairs on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. 

Expect the VA to "crunch the numbers" to make it look like they are cutting down on the claims backlog.

But, it just isn't so!

The backlog is getting worse and the VA has no good reason for the mess they've created.

Be sure to watch the hearing at the above link ... and see if you can figure out how the VA can take such bad news and spin it to their favor.

As expected, the VA did do their song-and-dance at the hearing mentioned above.  VA said:

"VBA is completing more claims than ever before," and "...we have made progress in improving the timeliness of our decisions," and "...our disability claims workload is increasing, which we believe is largely due to VBA’s many outreach efforts."

The complete article is here ...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09
/nf09/nfjul09/nf073009-1.htm

While the VA continues to spin the facts, the claims backlog problem is getting worse.

Last week's Monday Morning Workload Report for August 24, 2009 shows an increase from 936,690 claims in the pile to 948,611 ... that's an additional 11,921 claims in just four weeks!  Since the first of the year that is a 17.3% increase.  Report here ...
http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/
mmwr/2009/082409.xls 

It's time for Secretary Shinseki to get to work and keep his promise of ending the claims backlog ... because his plan, whatever that is, appears to be working in reverse.

For more information on the claims backlog, use our search engine ... click here ...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch
.php?q=claims+backlog&op=and

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, claims, backlog