We just received the October 2022 veterans disability benefits statistics report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This monthly update shows all currently pending VA disability, pension, and survivor’s claims. Learn how the VA’s new numbers may impact veterans considering filing VA claims in our analysis below.
October 2022 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Inventory Status
The October 2022 veterans disability benefits report shows the total number of applications currently waiting for the VA’s review. On Oct. 1, the VA’s inventory shows a little less than 646,000 outstanding claims:
- As of October 1, 2022: 645,854
- As of September 3, 2022: 635,026
- Difference: +10,828
- Daily churn: +541.4 claims
October’s report shows Agent Orange claims still take longest for the VA to process. Since January 1, the VA’s processed just over 1.7 million disability and pension claims.
Vets applying for VA disability wait the longest in the following states for claim approval:
- Vermont – 193 days (i.e., 6 months, 2 weeks)
- Oregon – 176.7 days (a little less than 6 months)
- Maine – 176.1 days
- Montana – 175.3 days
- Wyoming – 172 days
- New York – 170 days
The states with the shortest VA disability claim-processing times in 2022 are:
- Maryland – 134.3 days (i.e., 4 months, 2 weeks)
- North Carolina – 135.9 days
- Texas – 137.5 days
- Georgia – 138.4 days
- Virginia – 139.4 days
- Colorado – 139.5 days
October 2022 Veterans Disability Benefits Statistics: Claims Backlog Status
Claims older than 125 days in the October 2022 veterans disability benefits report fall into the VA’s backlog. Compared to this time last year, however, the VA’s reduced its backlog by almost 58,000 claims:
- As of October 1, 2022: 147,693
- As of September 3, 2022: 152,560
- Difference: -4,867
- Daily churn: -243 claims cleared from the backlog
Vietnam vets filed just 28% of pending VA claims in this month’s inventory. However, they make up 35% of the VA’s claims backlog. According to the VBA, 1 in 10 vets filing supplemental claims already get the maximum monthly benefit payment.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
The VA makes costly mistakes when processing claims from at least 1 in 10 veterans every month. This means you could get either the wrong benefit payment or denied benefits you earned via military service.
Why not have a VA-accredited attorney near you review your claim paperwork for free? This service costs $0 and you don’t have to do anything else once it’s complete. And if an attorney helps you win against the VA, then you only pay a small, one-time fee.
Click the button below to sign up for a free, no-obligation phone call with a local attorney today!
Get Your Free Benefits Evaluation
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.