VETERANS BENEFITS: VBA's Efforts to Implement the Veterans Claims Assistance Act Need Further Monitoring
Abstract
In November 2000, the Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA) of 2000 was enacted to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assisted veterans claiming VA benefits. This legislation was passed in response to concerns expressed by veterans, veterans service organizations, and the Congress over a July 1999 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, known as the Morton decision, which held that the VA did not have a duty to assist veterans in developing their claims unless they were "well-grounded." That is, enough information was provided for VA to determine that the claim was plausible. The VCAA invalidated certain portions of the Morton decision and obligated VA to assist veterans in the development of their claims. According to VA's Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), the VCAA has significantly increased VBA's workload in processing veterans' claims for VA disability compensation and pension benefits because it decided to rework many of the 98,000 claims that had been denied under the Morton decision, review approximately 244,000 claims that were pending at the time the VCAA was enacted, and it added more time to the processing of new claims received after the passage of the law.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA403171
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office