Department of Veterans Affairs to hire more staff amidst backlog pileup
More hires to allow for claims to be resolved quickly
WASHINGTON (KYMA, KECY) - On October 14, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva made a statement regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs decision to train new staff.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is going for new hires to ensure veterans receive the help they need more quickly as claims have been on their pending backlog for more than 100 days.
Rep. Grijalva stated, "One of the most frequent issues my office handles are cases related to veteran's claims. For too many of theseurgent cases waiting monthsto receive a response from the Department of Veterans Affairs is simply not acceptable. Unfortunately, the pandemic further exacerbated a system that was already struggling to keep pace with demand."
More than 2,000 new employees are expected to be hired and trained soon, as well as budget allocations to change in order to meet the needs of veterans.
“I am proud that Democrats took decisive action to address veterans' issues through passage of the American Rescue Plan which provides funds to improve veterans’ health care, and specifically to address the claims backlog. I will continue to support legislation that makes it easier forour veterans to access their earned benefits and ask that my colleagues in Congress join me in making sure these are sustainable improvements.”
