March 2021 veterans disability statistics report

March 2021 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics Report

The March 2021 veterans disability benefits statistics report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is here. This report covers each month’s trends in unrated VA claims for disability compensation, pension, and survivor’s benefits. Learn what this latest report reveals during the past 30 days, and how those changes may affect veterans.



March 2021 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status

The March 2021 veterans disability benefits statistics report lists all claims currently pending the VA’s determination decision. On March 6, the claims inventory rose to include more than 479,000 unrated applications. Unfortunately, the progress we saw last month backslid during the last 30-day period – but only a little:

  • As of March 6, 2021: 479,058
  • As of February 6, 2021: 478,032
  • Difference: +1,026
  • Daily churn: +47 claims

We don’t see these numbers going down in any meaningful way until the pandemic’s over. However, we do see some interesting claims accuracy data based on which jurisdiction you apply for benefits in. The jurisdictions where you’re least likely to get an accurate VA rating in the last three months include:

  • Baltimore, MD – 65% of claims rated correctly; 86.1% of individual medical conditions rated accurately
  • New Orleans, LA – 66.4% overall claim accuracy; 87.2% of individual medical conditions received correct VA rating
  • Oakland, CA – 74.9% of claims rated correctly; 80.8% of individual medical conditions given accurate VA ratings
  • Honolulu, HI – 75% of claims rated correctly; 88.1% of individual medical conditions given accurate VA ratings

Jurisdictions with the most accurate VA claim ratings during the last three months, on a rolling average, are:

  • Winston-Salem, NC – 100% of claims rated correctly; 100% of individual medical conditions rated accurately
  • Roanoke, VA – 100% of claims rated correctly; 100% of individual medical conditions rated accurately
  • Sioux Falls, SD – 100% of claims rated correctly; 100% of individual medical conditions rated accurately
  • Boise, ID – 100% of claims rated correctly; 100% of individual medical conditions rated accurately
  • Huntington, WV – 100% of claims rated correctly; 97.7% of individual medical conditions rated accurately

As you can see, where you file your claim makes a difference when it comes to maximizing your VA benefits!

March 2021 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status

The backlog category contains all VA claims more than 125 days old. It’s wonderful to see a slight drop in the number of backlogged claims this month! Right now, about 55% of veterans filing VA claims wait at least five months for their first benefit payment:

  • As of March 6, 2021: 211,294
  • As of February 6, 2021: 212,851
  • Difference: -1,557
  • Daily churn: -71 cleared from the backlog

Now, let’s compare claim-rating accuracy against average processing time for VA claims by jurisdiction. See the shortest and longest VA claim-processing times for various jurisdictions listed below:

  • 65.9 days in Boise, the fastest claim-processing jurisdiction which also assigned 100% accurate VA ratings during the last fiscal year
  • 182 days in Washington, DC, which doesn’t disclose either its three-month claim-level accuracy ratings or for individual conditions
  • 115.8 days is the average claim-processing time nationwide this fiscal year
  • 1 in every 10 claims got the wrong rating from the VA during the last year

Are you a veteran who believes you received the wrong VA rating within the past year? If so, talk to a VA-accredited lawyer on the phone for free about your case. We urge you to do this so you can get 100% of the VA benefits earned through your military service!

The lawyers offering these free phone calls always work on contingency. So if the VA doesn’t award you a cash settlement, then you pay $0 for legal assistance. But 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.