The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has processed a record number of disability benefits compensation and pension ratings claims in a single year, according to an announcement made Wednesday. As of August 8, the VA reported processing 2,524,115 ratings claims in fiscal year 2025, surpassing last year's total of 2,517,519 with nearly two months left in the fiscal year.
This achievement is part of a series of improvements in VA claims processing. Since January 20, when President Trump took office, the backlog of veterans waiting for benefits has decreased by more than 37%. This comes after an increase of 24% during the previous administration.
In July alone, the VA completed over 300,000 ratings claims—the highest monthly total ever recorded by the department. Claims are being processed at a rate that is 17.8% faster than last year despite a 10% increase in new claim receipts.
“Under President Trump, VA is making major improvements to better serve Veterans, and this announcement underscores that fact,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “We look forward to implementing more reforms to increase customer service and convenience for those we are charged with serving.”
Other recent actions by the VA include opening 16 new health care clinics across the country and offering nearly one million appointments outside normal operating hours since January. These early-morning, evening, and weekend slots are intended to provide veterans with more timely access to care.
The department is investing an additional $800 million in infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving patient safety and effectiveness at its facilities. It has also streamlined processes for veterans enrolled with the VA to receive care from non-VA providers at departmental expense.
Major reforms have been implemented to simplify benefit access for survivors following challenges identified during the prior administration. The rollout of an integrated electronic health record system has accelerated after a period of limited progress.
A partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services enabled recovery of $106 million from duplicate billing efforts. The VA also announced it is phasing out treatment for gender dysphoria and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—measures described as reversing policies from earlier years and resulting in cost savings exceeding $14 million.
Additionally, tens of thousands of employees have returned to on-site work as part of broader changes intended to improve team coordination within the agency.
Veterans seeking further information or wishing to apply for care or benefits are encouraged to visit https://www.va.gov/.
