Meng Introduces Bill to Speed Up Disability Claims Process for Veterans

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, D-Flushing, has introduced a bill that would speed up the process of disability claims for veterans in Queens, many of whom are forced to wait as long as 500 days for their benefits.   

Currently, borough veterans have one of the longest wait times in the nation to receive benefits due to a massive backlog of disability claims, the congresswoman said.   

“Forcing disabled veterans to wait such long periods of time to receive the vital benefits they require is disgraceful and unconscionable,” she said. “Our veterans and returning troops who valiantly served our country must not continue to be subjected to these shameful and inexcusable delays. They deserve better.”   

As many as 878,000 veterans across the nation have disability claims waiting to be processed by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Nearly 593,000 of these veterans exceed the agency’s processing goal of 125 days, Meng said.  

Nationwide, the average time for the department to process a claim for a veteran is 310 days. In Queens, the average wait time is 499 days.   

In addition, nearly 14 percent of the claims processed by the regional Veterans Affairs’ office contain errors, Meng said.   

Meng’s legislation would require annual reports on the agency’s regional offices that fail to meet the target of processing claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy. In reports, the agency would be required to explain why it did not meet a specific goal and ask for the resources it needs to meet the goal.   

Meng said the backlog in claims is attributed to an increase in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the extension of additional benefits to Vietnam veterans, a lack of adequate staffing and an antiquated claim system that is not computerized.   

“We can never thank our veterans enough for the sacrifices they made to our nation,” the congresswoman said. “And now, we must do all we can to help them receive the benefits they rightly deserve.”   

The Veterans Affairs department’s regional office serves approximately 608,000 people in Queens, the other four boroughs and Long Island.