VA benefits claims backlog drops below 70K for first time since 2020

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA disability compensation and pension benefit claims fell below 70,000 for the first time since February 2020, during the first Trump Administration.

Hitting this milestone means the department has now cut the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by over 74% since Jan. 20, 2025, after it increased 24% under the Biden Administration.

A VA claim for compensation or pension is considered backlogged once it has been pending in the claims inventory for more than 125 days. In 2013, 70% of claims were older than 125 days - the most ever - compared to just 11.6% today.

VA has also reduced the average time it takes to process a claim to a record low. Today, claims take an average of 77.7 days to process - the fastest ever. Since the second Trump Administration took office, VA has decided more than one million claims in less than 30 days.

"This is what putting Veterans first looks like," said VA Secretary Doug Collins. "We are incredibly proud of these historic numbers, which mean faster decisions, better service and more benefits for the men and women who have worn the uniform."

This milestone is one of many landmark VA achievements during the second Trump Administration, including:

• Opening 38 new VA healthcare facilities, expanding health care access for Veterans around the country.
• Processing more than 3 million disability compensation and pension claims in FY 2025, an all-time high that shattered the previous record set in FY 2024.
• Offering Veterans more than 3 million appointments outside of normal operating hours, which gives Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
• Permanently housing 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country in FY 2025, the highest total in seven years.

VA encourages all Veterans to visit Choose.VA.gov to learn more and apply for the care and benefits they have earned.