Let’s dive into the May 2020 veterans disability benefits statistics report numbers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Learn how VA disability compensation and pension claim numbers changed within the past 30 days in our analysis below.
May 2020 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
The May 2020 veterans disability benefits statistics report lists all unrated VA compensation and pension claims. On May 2, the VA claims inventory held 373,260 pending applications. May’s report marks our second major month-over-month drop in VA claim filings this year:
- As of May 2, 2020: 373,260
- As of April 4, 2020: 405,730
- Difference: -32,470
- Daily churn: -1,623.5 claims
It looks like significantly fewer vets recently filed claims for disability compensation and pension payments. This likely resulted from the 56 regional VA offices closing mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. That said, it’s still relatively easy to file your benefits application through a VA-accredited attorney for free. Veterans with fully developed claims can also file online, which potentially shaves one week off your processing time. About 1 in 3 claims (32.4%) come from first-time filers, and 29% are for VA disability compensation. Surviving spouses, children and parents make up 2.2% of first-time claims, while new pension applicants account for the rest. Most new unrated claims in the May 2020 veterans disability benefits statistics report are supplemental (62.3%). In fact, 41% come from vets requesting increased evaluations or claiming additional service-connected disabilities.
May 2020 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
After 125 days without a VA determination decision, any unrated claims automatically transfer into the backlog. The May 2020 veterans disability benefits statistics report shows a relatively large jump in backlogged claims this month:
- As of May 2, 2020: 80,155
- As of April 4, 2020: 74,625
- Difference: +5,530
- Daily churn: +276.5 claims added to the backlog
VA staffers still try to review claims as quickly as possible, despite office closings. However, claims that require in-person C&P exams are most likely to experience processing delays. We recently covered this topic in our Covid-19 FAQs for Veterans article. We will update it with new information when the situation changes. About half the backlogged claims this month come from Vietnam (32%) and Gulf War veterans (30%).
You May Qualify for Free Legal Assistance
A VA-accredited lawyer gives you the best chance of getting paid the most benefits you deserve faster. You can sign up for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your claim with a local advocate today. Best of all, this consultation can happen over the phone so you won’t put yourself or your family at risk.
All VA-accredited attorneys we can match you with work on contingency. That means unless VA awards you a cash settlement, your lawyer gets $0. And if you do win, then you’ll only pay a small, one-time fee. If you successfully appeal a denied claim, then this proves the government made a mistake. That may mean they’ll have to pay your legal fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). If so, you’ll pay no legal fees for winning a cash settlement!
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.