Veterans' Disability Benefits Wait Times Longer Than Ever Before

March 19, 2013
Numbers show soldiers returning from service overseas are waiting longer than ever to receive Veterans’ Disability Benefits they desperately need. This fact was highlighted when the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) announced it took the agency an average of 327 days to process claims filed by soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Kansas City Star explains the VA has made efforts to solve the problem by implementing a new computerized processing system; however, there have been numerous reports the new system may actually be slower than the old one.

During recent audits of the system, reports rose of it taking between three and four minutes to open a document. Others stated the system would repeatedly crash, while another employee claimed it took twice as long to perform an integral part of the claim process.

Despite these concerns, the VA has announced the new processing system will be rolled out to all offices by the end of the year. VA spokespeople affirmed the decision by arguing most of the problems were due to factors outside of the agency’s control.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys with Cofman Townsley are knowledgeable in the complexities of the Veterans Disability system. The firm urges anyone who was permanently disabled during their time in the service to discuss their legal rights with a qualified attorney immediately.