snapshot – On the National Security Beat

Monthly VA disability claims backlog snapshot — through July 2014

SB Anderson — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 14:28:51 +0000

Status through July of the backlog in Veterans Benefits Administration disability application processing.

Compared to rapid progress for much of the past year, progress seems to have stalled a bit this summer.

Chart and table below detail changes month-to-month, week-to-week and year-over-year.

Data is taken from the VBA’s weekly “Monday Morning Workload Reports” that track claims processing progress. We think monthly tracking is a better barometer of actual progress because it flattens out some of the temporary ups and downs the weekly reports reflect.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
End June	528,790	261,907	49.50%	158.9
End July	524,225	261,116	49.80%	160.4
Change	4,565	791	0.30	1.50
YTD Change	-112,049	-127,062	-11.20	-13.4
End July 2013	733,171	485,600	66.20%	235.5

View earlier progress summaries.

VA claims backlog: It’s not only about disability claims

SB Anderson — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:21:41 +0000

A good reminder from National Journal a few days ago that while the media seems most interested in the still-huge backlog of the Veteran’s Administration’s disability claims, a variety of other claims are clogged up as well.

The VA loves to talk about how it’s on track to reach its goal next year of completing all disability compensation and pension claims within 125 days—keeping them off the dreaded “backlogged” list. Frequently overlooked? The other two-thirds of VA claims—or more than 1 million requests—aren’t subject to the department’s 125-days, 98-percent accuracy goal. . . .

What are these other claims clogging up the VA’s system?

They run the gamut from aiming to change the amount of disability pay a veteran receives to appealing previous decisions by the department. They also include responses to congressional inquiries. So while the number of pending VA disability claims has shrunk in recent years, the number of overall claims has mushroomed to roughly 1.64 million. That’s compared with 941,666 in late 2009.

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Monthly VA disability claims backlog snapshot — through May 2014

SB Anderson — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 16:23:44 +0000

The backlog in Veterans Benefits Administration disability application processing continued to shrink in May, with the number of claims pending over 125 days reduced by 33,000 and the average days pending down by just 2.4 days.

May was the fourth consecutive month of progress after stalls in November and December of 2013.

Chart and table below detail changes month-to-month, week-to-week and year-over-year.

Data is take from the VBA’s weekly “Monday Morning Workload Reports” that track claims processing progress. We think monthly tracking is a better barometer of actual progress because it flattens out some of the temporary ups and downs the weekly reports reflect.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
End May	539,222	277,026	51.40%	163
End Apr.	563,379	310,180	55.10%	165.4
Change	-24,157	-33,154	-3.70	-2.40
YTD Change	-72,895	-77,998	-5.90	-8.4
End May 2013	778,425	530,325	68.10%	N/A

View earlier progress summaries.

Monthly VA disability claims backlog snapshot — through April 2014

SB Anderson — Tue, 06 May 2014 21:50:20 +0000

The backlog in Veterans Benefits Administration disability application processing continued to shrink in April, with the number of claims pending over 125 days reduced by 23,000 ~~55,000~~ and the average days pending down by just under two days.

April was the fourth consecutive month of progress after stalls in November and December of 2013.

Chart and table below detail changes month-to-month, week-to-week and year-over-year.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
End Apr.	563,379	310,180	55.10%	165.4
End Mar.	581,527	333,147	57.30%	167.3
Change	-18,148	-22,967	-2.20	-1.90
YTD Change	-54,747	-55,031	-3.70	-6.5
Mar. 2013	807,818	574,799	71.20%	N/A

View earlier progress summaries.

Monthly VA disability claims backlog snapshot — through March 2014

SB Anderson — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:59:06 +0000

Veterans Benefits Administration workers put a dent in the backlog of veterans disability claims in March, processing 32,000 claims and cutting the percentage pending more than 125 days by nearly two percentage points. March was the third consecutive month of progress after stalls in November and December of 2013.

Chart and table below detail changes month-to-month, week-to-week and year-over-year.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
End Mar.	581,527	333,147	57.30%	167.3
End Feb.	613,550	362,028	59%	171.4
Change	-32,023	-28,881	-1.7%	-4.1
YTD Change	-54,747	-55,031	-3.70%	-6.5
Mar. 2013	804,427	569,547	70.80%	N/A

View earlier progress summaries.

Monthly VA disability claims backlog snapshot — through Feb. 2014

SB Anderson — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:45:03 +0000

Starting today, we are switching to monthly instead of weekly snapshots of veterans disability claims status, based on data from the Veterans Benefits Administration’s weekly “Monday Morning Workload Reports” that track claims processing progress. We think monthly tracking is a better barometer of actual progress because it flattens out some of the temporary ups and downs the weekly reports reflect.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
End Feb.	613,550	362,028	59.00%	171.4
End Jan.	627,228	379,631	60.50%	174.1
Change	-13,678	-17,603	-1.50%	-2.7
YTD Change	-22,724	-26,150	-2.00%	-2.4
Feb. 2013	817,123	583,825	71.40%	N/A

View earlier progress summaries.

Weekly VA disability claims backlog snapshot (2/18/2014)

SB Anderson — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 18:47:26 +0000

Below is our weekly snapshot of veterans disability claims status, based on data from the Veterans Benefits Administration’s weekly “Monday Morning Workload Reports” that track claims processing progress.

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
This week	626,393	378,171	60.40%	173.5
Last week	628,028	380,927	60.70%	173
Change	-1,635	-2,756	-0.30%	0.5
YTD Change	-9,636	762	1.10%	-0.3
Year ago	819,837	585,219	71.40%	N/A

View earlier weekly summaries.

Weekly VA disability claims backlog snapshot (2/11/2014)

SB Anderson — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 19:52:35 +0000

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
This week	628,028	380,927	60.70%	173
Last week	627,228	379,631	60.50%	174.1
Change	800	1,296	0.20%	-1.1
YTD Change	-8,246	-7,251	-0.30%	-2.7
Year ago	821,143	587,351	71.50%	N/A

View earlier weekly summaries.

Weekly VA disability claims backlog snapshot (2/4/2014)

SB Anderson — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:48:23 +0000

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
This week	627,228	379,631	60.50%	174.1
Last week	630,909	382,250	60.60%	174.8
Change	-3,681	-2,619	-0.10%	-0.7
Year ago	816,405	552,487	67.70%	N/A

View earlier weekly summaries.

Weekly VA disability claims backlog snapshot

SB Anderson — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:05:28 +0000

	CLAIMS PENDING	OVER 125 DAYS	% OVER 125 DAYS	AVG. DAYS PENDING
This week	630,909	382,250	60.60%	174.8
Last week	633,967	381,894	60.20%	174.5
Change	-3,058	356	0.40%	0.3
Year ago	821,966	585,234	71.20%	N/A

View earlier weekly summaries.