Agency has processed more than 3 million claims and this year has awarded more than $207 billion in benefits to veterans, survivors.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs processed more than 3 million disability benefits claims for veterans in fiscal 2026 as of Sept. 18, 2026, faster than ever before.
The prior record was set in fiscal 2025, when VA completed a record high 3.001 million claims at the very end of the fiscal year — a record VA has already surpassed this year.
With just a week left before fiscal 2026 ends, VA has already awarded more than $207 billion in compensation and pension benefits to veterans and survivors.
Since January 2025, VA has reduced the backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits by more than 70 percent. VA also cut disability claim processing times nearly in half. The average time to complete a decision was 75.6 days in September 2026, compared to 141.5 days on Jan. 20, 2025.
Claims processing accuracy has improved despite the increased workload and is currently at 94 percent — the highest rate in two years. Additionally, VBA continues to grant more than 60 percent of the claims submitted by veterans, and only about 3 percent of VBA’s decisions are reviewed by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
- Veterans Benefits