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April 19, 2013 at 04:11 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Veterans waiting more than a year for a decision on their disability claims are moving to the front of the line, under a new program announced Friday.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is responding to criticism about the soaring number of claims that have been pending for longer than 125 days.
The VA couldn’t say how many veterans were waiting more than a year for a decision. But VA records show it took 262 days on average to resolve a claim in the past fiscal year.
VA Undersecretary Allison Hickey says provisional decisions will be made in coming months on the oldest claims.
Veterans whose claims are granted would get compensation immediately. Veterans whose claims are denied will have a year to submit more information.
