The Trump Administration recently announced plans to reorganize the Department of Veterans Affairs, which may include eliminating over 80,000 jobs. The VA’s chief of staff advised department officials that the administration plans to return the VA to its 2019 staffing levels, which would mean terminating tens of thousands of employees hired during the previous presidential administration. Although VA Secretary Doug Collins has promised that proposed layoffs would not lead to cuts in veterans’ healthcare or benefits, some veterans and veterans advocacy groups have spoken out against proposals to reduce the VA’s staffing levels or funding. But what effects would these proposed job cuts have on the VA’s processing of disability claims, and what might the potential consequences for veterans include?
Understanding VA Disability Claims Processing
When a veteran files a VA disability benefits claim, the VA undertakes a review process that can last approximately six months. However, some claims can take longer due to various complications. Upon receiving a claim, the VA will check for basic information to determine initial eligibility for VA benefits. VA officials will then begin gathering evidence to evaluate the disability claim, including service records and the veteran’s medical records of the treatment and rehabilitation for their disability. Sometimes, the VA will ask a veteran to attend an independent medical exam to collect additional information about the veteran’s condition.
After collecting all available evidence, VA officials will review records to determine whether the veteran has a service-connected disability, and if so, to assign a disability rating that determines the amount of monthly benefits the veteran will receive.
Potential Consequences of Job Cuts
The proposed job cuts to the VA may have various adverse consequences for disability claims processing, such as:
- Increased claims backlog: Fewer staff members means claims reviewers must take on a larger number of claims, which can lengthen processing times, especially as the administration’s efforts to reduce spending may result in policies restricting the number of hours claims reviews may spend at work.
- Reduced accuracy and higher error rates: With fewer staff, claims reviewers may have to spend less time reviewing a veteran’s claim information, which may lead to reviewers missing critical information resulting in erroneous denials of claims or assignments of lower disability ratings than veterans should receive.
- Longer appeals and review times: The combination of fewer staff available to review claims and potentially increased error rates can place additional strain on the VA’s administrative appeals process, with more veterans pursuing appeals to challenge erroneous determinations on their disability claims.
Implications for Veterans and Their Families
Job cuts at the VA and resulting negative consequences for the processing of disability claims will have knock-on effects for disabled veterans and their families. For example, some disabled veterans who rely on their VA benefits may experience financial hardships due to the delay in getting approved for benefits or errors that result in veterans receiving lower benefits than they should. The extra complications caused by administrative burdens resulting from staff cuts can also cause increased anxiety and stress for veterans who may worry about when they will receive benefits or whether the VA will approve them for benefits.
Contact a VA Disability Lawyer Today to Protect Your Rights
When you have developed a disability due to an injury or medical condition connected with your military service, you may have the right to claim VA disability benefits. Working with an experienced VA disability attorney can make the claims process as efficient and stress-free as possible. Contact Veteran’s Legal Center today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our team to discuss your legal rights and options for seeking VA disability benefits.