Veterans' Benefits: More Transparency Needed to Improve Oversight of VBA's Compensation and Pension Staffing Levels

VA has provided information in its FY 2010 budget submission that addresses GAO's recommendation. (1) VA identified several factors driving its projections of increased disability claim filing. These included current military force size and operations; the effects of progressive conditions on older veterans; and current economic conditions. VA also provided projections of the impact of requested additional staffing on its production of claim decisions as well as its claim processing inventory and average decision time. (2) VA provided estimates of claim processing productivity. VA also identified several initiatives that could help improve productivity. For examples, continuing efforts to implement paperless claim processing; expansion of pre-discharge claims filing by servicemembers; participation in a pilot with DOD of a streamlined disability evaluation process; and consolidation of additional types of claims at VA's Pension Maintenance Centers. (3) VA provided data on original compensation claims filed by number of disabling conditions claimed, showing an increase in the filing of larger claims. VA also identified types of conditions that can be more complex to evaluate, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes.