In the case of disability claim for veterans, “streamlining” has meant “takes longer to get a decision,” the Government Accountability Office said in testimony for the U.S. Senate this week. 

“Timeliness has steadily worsened since the inception of the program,” Daniel Bertoni, the GAO’s director for education, workforce and income security, said, according to the Washington Post. 

“Active duty troops waited 394 days on average in fiscal year 2011, while members of the National Guard and Reserve faced waits of 420 days. In 2010, the wait times were 357 and 370 days, respectively, and in 2008, they were less than 300.

“Unfortunately, this new disability system is exhibiting some of the same failings of the broken system that it was designed to replace,” said the committee’s chairman, Sen. Patty Murray, (D-Wash.) “Our servicemembers should never be forced to wait nearly 400 days to get a decision that will have such an important impact on their future.” “