The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) has announced it has set a record for the number of disability benefit claims processed, with more than 2 million so far this year.
Why It Matters
About 6.2 million veterans in the U.S. receive monthly disability benefits from the VA. These tax-free monthly payments support those whose disabilities stem from illnesses, injuries, or events that occurred or worsened during active military service.
The program also provides monthly compensation to surviving spouses, dependent children, and parents to help offset the financial impact of a service member’s death—either during service or from a service-connected condition after discharge.
What To Know
In a press release issued on Tuesday, June 24, the VA said it has processed more than 2 million disability claims so far in fiscal year 2025—reaching the milestone at a record-setting pace. The number was achieved “more than a month faster than the all-time record reached in FY 2024.”
If this rate continues, the VA is expected to exceed last year’s total by more than 14 percent. So far this fiscal year, the department has distributed over $120 billion in compensation and pension benefits to veterans and their families.
Veterans are also seeing faster results, the VA said. As of June 21, 2025, the average time to complete a disability claim was 131.8 days—down from 141.5 days in January.
Along with the increase in claims processing, the VA said it has made strides in reducing the backlog of claims. Since President Donald Trump took office, the number of backlogged disability applications has decreased by over 74,000.
The VA announced earlier this year the disability benefits compensation claims backlog had fallen below 200,000 for the first time since spring 2023. Between January 20 and the VA’s announcement in late May, the backlog had decreased from 264,717 to 198,378—a reduction of 25 percent.
In May, the VA also announced it is new steps to make it easier for survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans to access benefits. The changes include moving the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) to a more accessible location, introducing a dedicated “White-Glove” Survivor Outreach Team for personalized support, and increasing automation within the benefits system to speed up processing.
What People Are Saying
VA Secretary Doug Collins said: “VA has reduced the claims backlog and has processed these claims faster than ever for a simple reason: we’re focused on getting results for Veterans. We are just getting started in our mission to help veterans, families, caregivers and survivors get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”
What Happens Next
If you’re a veteran looking to apply for VA disability benefits, you can visit VA.gov to learn more.
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