The June 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report is now available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Learn how VA disability pension and compensation claims changed during the last 30 days below.
June 2019 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
All unrated pension and compensation claims pending a VA decision appear in the June 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report. On June 8, there were 351,447 claims listed in the VA’s inventory category. That means VA staff assigned nearly 1,200 ratings per day last month. According to current VBA data, on average, it takes about 115 days to process each veteran’s claim. However, fully developed claims go slightly faster, as the VBA processes them in about 109 days.
- As of June 8, 2019: 351,447
- As of May 4, 2019: 375,100
- Difference: -23,653
- Daily churn: -1,183 claims
There’s also some not-so-good-news in the June 2019 VA disability benefits statistics report. The agency’s ability to rate claims accurately the first time slipped again for the 3-month review period, down to 86.97%. If you’re a disabled vet applying for compensation, consider having a VA-accredited lawyer file your claim. Otherwise, you might find yourself appealing the VA’s initial rating as incorrect four months after you applied for benefits.
June 2019 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
After 125 days, any unrated VA applications automatically move into the backlog category. While backlogged claims rose slightly last month, May’s report more than made up for that in cleared-out claims.
- As of June 8, 2019: 75,988
- As of May 4, 2019: 76,085
- Difference: -97
- Daily churn: -5 claims cleared from the backlog
While the June 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report’s backlog barely dipped compared to last month, let’s look deeper. Just 21.6% (or about 1 in 5) VA claims actually landed in this month’s backlog category. That means 4 in 5 get processed in a timely manner, as expected. There were just 33,150 first-time applicants in June’s backlog, making up 9.4% of all claims still pending a disability rating. It’s easy to criticize the VA, and they often do make mistakes. But this month, it’s clear they are making great strides towards getting veterans their much-needed benefits sooner.
You May Qualify for Free Legal Assistance
A VA-accredited lawyer gives you the best odds of getting your VA ratings right the first time. Plus, they know how to speed up the claim-processing time or get your appeals hearing scheduled faster. We mentioned that 13% of vets end up having to appeal about four months after filing earlier in this article. Wouldn’t you rather get your claim processed quickly (and correctly) the first time you file? Plus, getting a lawyer to help file your claim costs you nothing out of pocket now. Since these lawyers work on contingency, they don’t get paid unless your case wins. And if you do win, then you’ll only pay a small, one-time fee.
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free benefits evaluation now!
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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.