WASHINGTON — The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) processed over 2.2 million claims for disability compensation in 2023.
But now, new questions are being raised about the accuracy of those decisions.
A new Veteran Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report this week said the error rate for individual unemployability disability claims is as high as 76% -- with $100 million in improper payments having been made.
"We found that VBA's training did not provide staff with adequate examples to equip them to adjudicate these complex claims," said Stephen Bracci, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector Director of General Claims and Medical Exams Benefits Inspection Division.
A separate report this week from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) notes that the VA is facing challenges in processing large volumes of disability compensation claims.
These challenges raise questions about VA's ability to effectively meet the needs of a significant number of veterans seeking disability benefits," the report wrote.
The Director of the Education, Workforce, and Income Security team at the Government Accountability Office, Elizabeth Curda, said that effective management at VBA's training program can help claim processors meet veterans' needs by providing timely and accurate decisions.
"It can also save taxpayer dollars by reducing mistakes and rework of the same claim if it is appealed," Curda stated.
Members of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs made clear Tuesday they aren't happy. For example, Chairman Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) described how any errors made have consequences.
"When errors result in underpayments, veterans do not receive the benefits they've earned. When errors result in overpayments, the VA wastes taxpayers' dollars," Luttrell stated. "We owe it to veterans, their families and the American taxpayer to hold VBA accountable for low-quality claims processing and decision-making."
