The Department of Veterans Affairs processed 3.11 million compensation claims in fiscal 2026, beating the 3 million it set the year before. Now it wants more than 2,000 additional people to handle what comes next.
The agency announced the hiring plan for fiscal 2027. About 13,000 employees process claims today. VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement: “VA is putting Veterans first by making major improvements in claims processing volume, speed and accuracy. These new hires will help continue this landmark progress.”
Why the queue keeps growing
The VA says the cause is partly its own doing. It ran a campaign in fiscal 2026 to reach millions of unenrolled veterans, with more than 11,000 live events. The agency calls it an “unprecedented effort” to contact and enroll veterans. Submissions followed: more than 3.15 million claims, up 80% from fiscal 2022. Since January, over 300,000 new veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare.
The 2022 PACT Act added to the load. It expanded toxic exposure benefits, and the claims backlog grew by 24% as staff struggled with millions of complex new filings.
The record so far
VA granted 60.1% of all claims filed in fiscal 2026 and put its accuracy at 93.88%, the best in three years. Only 3.2% of decisions were appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The department also says it has cut the backlog by over 70% and average processing times by 46%.
Those are the agency’s own figures. They suggest the hires are meant to protect gains already made, not to dig out of a hole.
Where the recruits come from
Veterans and others can apply to become claims processors, who interpret and apply the laws, regulations and policies governing disability claims. The job posting on USAJobs is for a veterans service representative, a role that reviews claims, gathers evidence, conducts interviews, adjudicates and prepares decision letters.
VA is also looking inside the military. Its Warrior Training Advancement Course, or WARTAC, lets transitioning service members finish national-level training while still on active duty, and that can lead to a job at one of VA’s 56 Regional Benefits Offices.
Strategically, the department is betting that the people who file claims can also be the ones who decide them. The new employees are to be brought on during fiscal 2027.
Sources
- The VA is hiring hundreds of claims processors; veterans encouraged to apply
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans claims-processing hiring expansion
- VA hiring 2,000+ employees to process rising number of Veteran claims – VA News
- VA is Hiring Over 2,000 Claims Processors After a Record Year. Here's Who It Wants to Recruit
- With more veterans making benefits claims, see how the VA is responding
Photo: Daniel Torok (Public domain (US government work))
