The appeal backlog is growing

The Government Accountability Office recently issued a report to Congress about the Department of Veterans Affairs disability-claims appeal backlog.

The stats are grim. In 2015, more than 427,000 veterans had appeals pending and had waited for over three years. Of those, 81,000 veterans had waited five years. By 2026 veterans might have to wait an average of 8.5 years to have their appeals resolved.

During the audit, the VA noted three problem areas:

1) The VA said staff resources could not keep pace with the number of appeals, and it needs more people. The board approved a hiring surge in 2017. The GAO, however, discovered that the VA has not addressed training or space problems surrounding that hiring. VA then said that the 2017 hiring won’t be enough and they want more people in 2018.

2) The VA blamed the process itself — a veteran can send in new evidence at any point, delaying the whole appeal. Also when the VA sends out denials of initial claims, it’s not clear how to file an appeal or what paperwork is required. Veterans appeal without the correct documentation, adding to the backlog.

3) The VA says it needs new computers, but didn’t indicate how and when they’d begin using a new system, which, the GAO says, means they have no idea how and when the new computers would work with a new appeals process. Do you see the pattern here? If you need to file an appeal, get help from an appeal representative. Go online and search for information about how to file an appeal, and read everything you can. Remember that the VA has a statutory duty to help you find your records, but you have to be specific about doctors, dates and places of treatment.