The October 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report is here from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Read on to learn how VA disability compensation and pension application numbers changed over the last 30 days.
October 2019 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
The October 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report shows all disability compensation and pension claims pending the VA’s decision. On October 5, the inventory held 362,722 unrated VA disability compensation and pension claims. While the inventory category went up this month, less than 1 in 3 claims in October come from first-time applicants.
- As of October 5, 2019: 362,722
- As of September 7, 2019: 360,992
- Difference: +1,730
- Daily churn: +86.5 claims
While the October 2019 veterans benefits report shows that claims rose overall this month, it’s not all bad news. First-time applications for disability compensation make up just 31% of the claims inventory for October. About 1 in every 10 claims (11%) include appeals from disabled vets seeking a higher VA disability rating. Pension claims account for 2.2% of this month’s inventory, and 2.3% are from widowed families applying for survivor’s benefits.
October 2019 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
After 125 days, any pending claims still waiting on the VA’s decision automatically transfer into the backlog category. Despite the claims inventory going up, the backlog shrank significantly, according to the October 2019 veterans disability benefits statistics report:
- As of October 5, 2019: 71,017
- As of September 7, 2019: 80,501
- Difference: -9,484
- Daily churn: -474 claims cleared from the backlog
As we expected, less than half the backlogged claims this month are from first-time filers. About 40% come from first-time applicants for VA disability compensation. Appealed claims either seeking a higher VA rating or asking for a higher-level review make up about 6% of October’s backlog. Despite these shrinking backlog numbers, many disabled vets need help fighting the VA for the benefits they’re rightly owed. If that describes your current situation, why not talk to a lawyer for free about your claim?
You May Qualify for Free Legal Assistance
A VA-accredited lawyer will always give you a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case for free. That’s because all the lawyers in our network offer contingency-based representation. In recent years, 9 out of 10 veterans with legal assistance prevailed against the VA in court. But you don’t have to wait that long to get the professional help you need and deserve! An attorney can ensure you receive the most VA benefits you’re owed and potentially get you paid faster. If your claim’s denied, then you owe the lawyer $0 for legal assistance. And if you 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.