We have the VA’s May 2023 veterans disability benefits statistics report ready for review. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports on how many vets applied for benefits during the past 30 days. If you’re a veteran, learn how the VA’s new claim numbers may impact you or your family.
May 2023 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
The May 2023 veterans disability benefits report lists all changes to VA claims data since April’s report came out. This monthly update includes all claims for disability, pension, and survivor’s benefits that need VA ratings or payment approval. On May 6, the VA listed more than 813,000 total claims waiting on a determination decision:
- As of May 6, 2023: 813,762
- As of April 8, 2023: 802,966
- Difference: +10,796
- Daily churn: +540 claims
Today, the VA takes anywhere from 122 to 130 days to process most applications for benefits. If you appeal, the VA tracks that info in a separate system. The VA’s April 2023 appeals report shows how long it takes to process each appeal by claim type:
- 505 days to complete direct reviews (29% of vets win benefits at this stage)
- 610 days to process appeals that submit new medical evidence (33% of vets win benefits at this stage)
- 684 days to complete appeals that involve ALJ hearings (40% of vets are successful at this stage)
What’s driving the huge rise in overall VA claims? Last year’s PACT Act, which approved 20 more VA presumptive disability conditions for monthly benefits. In April, the VA announced it had received more than half a million such claims from veterans and their families. Since January 2023, the VA awarded more than $1 billion in earned benefits to eligible vets and their survivors. If you think you might have a condition from exposure to airborne toxins, sign up for the VA’s burn pit registry.
May 2023 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
Once a claim sits with the VA for more than 125 days, they count it as “backlogged.” The VA barely added any new backlogged claims this month, according to the May 2023 veterans disability benefits report:
- As of May 6, 2023: 210,599
- As of April 8, 2023: 210,207
- Difference: +392
- Daily churn: +20 claims added to the backlog
Today, a little more than 1 in 4 claims (26%) fall into the VA’s backlog. The oldest claims in the May 2023 veterans disability benefits report come from:
- Gulf War vets – 37%
- Vietnam War vets – 27%
- Iran and Afghanistan vets (post-9/11 era) – 24%
- Peacetime vets (period between the end of Vietnam until the first Gulf War) – 10%
- Vets who served in earlier wars/all other eras combined – less than 2%
Get VA-Certified Expert Claim Help by Phone
The VA admits it got things wrong on 12% of claims from veterans during the past 12 months. That means that about 1 in 8 vets today either gets the wrong monthly payment or denied benefits by accident. We can match you with a local VA-accredited attorney for free expert claim help.
This matching service is always free, and you pay your lawyer $0 unless you win your case.
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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.