Officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that the disability benefits compensation claims backlog is <200,000 for the first time since March 5, 2023.1
A VA claim is considered backlogged once it has been pending >125 days.
VA officials boasted in a prepared statement that there were 256,178 claims processed in April 2025, and they noted “the highest daily production rate in VA history May 20, with over 15,000 claims processed.” They did not detail in the statement what prompted the increases in processing or what the rate of denials or approvals were, but noted that since “President Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20, the backlog has dropped from 264,717 to 198,378, a 25% reduction.”
“We will continue working overtime on behalf of veterans until the backlog is at record lows,” VA Secretary Doug Collins noted in the statement. “Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve timely and accurate claims decisions, and that is exactly what we will deliver.”
Reference
- Veterans Affairs. Record breaking VA claims production brings backlog under 200K. May 22, 2025. Accessed May 28, 2025. https://news.va.gov/press-room/record-breaking-va-claims-production-brings-backlog-under-200k/
Editor’s Note: These roundups are compiled using information from TRICARE Communications and the Department of Veterans Affairs media offices.