Let’s review the new December 2022 veterans disability benefits statistics report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This report shows all pending VA disability, pension, and survivor’s claims the VA needs to rate or approve for payment. Learn how the VA’s latest numbers may impact veterans applying for benefits during the holiday season below.
December 2022 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
The December 2022 veterans disability benefits report shows every type of claim that vets can file with the VA. On December 3, the VA’s claims inventory showed a little less than 674,000 outstanding applications for benefits:
- As of December 3, 2022: 673,781
- As of November 5, 2022: 667,189
- Difference: +6,592
- Daily churn: +330 claims
Right now, the VA needs at least 116 days to process any claim for pension, disability compensation or survivor’s benefits. In fact, depending on how you file, you’ll wait closer to four months and one week for their response.
Applying for VA disability compensation during the month of December? Here’s where you’ll wait the longest for the VA to process your request for benefits:
- Vermont – 224.4 days
- North Dakota – 182 days
- Alaska – 163.4 days
- Utah – 142.5 days
- Washington – 140.3 days
By comparison, these U.S. states and territories have the shortest VA disability claim-processing times:
- Washington, D.C. – 88.6 days
- Puerto Rico – 90.2 days
- Wyoming – 102.6 days
- Hawaii – 107.8 days
- Massachusetts – 109.2 days
December 2022 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
Any claim that’s older than 125 days in the December 2022 veterans disability benefits report moves into the VA’s backlog. Unfortunately, backlogged claims are on the rise again after steadily dropping every month this year since January:
- As of December 3, 2022: 153,590
- As of November 5, 2022: 143,732
- Difference: +9,858
- Daily churn: +493 claims added to the backlog
We’re hoping this is just a momentary increase due to staff taking time off during the holiday season. One thing vets can get excited about, though, is this year’s historic 8.7% COLA increase. Veterans should see bigger checks reflecting this new raise starting with next month’s VA benefit payments.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
Denied VA benefits you believe you’re entitled to due to your military service? Veterans with attorneys had the best chance of winning benefits on appeal in the past 12 months. We can connect you with local VA-accredited attorneys that charge nothing for claim help unless you win your case. Since the VA admits to making mistakes when reviewing 1 in 10 veterans’ claims, what have you got to lose?
This service doesn’t obligate you to do anything else, including work with the attorney you speak with or file suit. But it could lead to you receiving more money in VA benefits than you’d otherwise get without legal assistance.
Ready to get started? Click the button below to sign up for a free, no-obligation phone call with a nearby advocate today:
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Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.