FOR RELEASE:  October 22, 2002

CLAIMS BACKLOG INCREASE DURING BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOTED BY EVANS

VETERANS DESERVE TIMELY AND ACCURATE BENEFIT DECISIONS FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SAYS ILLINOIS LAWMAKER

Washington, DC -- Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL), the senior Democratic member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, expressed concern that the backlog of veterans’ claims for benefits has increased since the Bush Administration took office.  Reducing the VA backlog of veterans’ claims has been a top priority for the Bush Administration, Evans noted.  Evans has previously criticized VA for releasing inaccurate numbers concerning VA’s claims backlog and expressed concern that by using erroneous information concerning the extent of the backlog, VA had tried to claim a large reduction in the number of claims pending. 

Evans has also identified incorrect information concerning the history and extent of the backlog.  Data concerning VA’s claims backlog is readily available at the “Monday Morning Reports” published on VA’s website.  According to that source, there were a total of 402,775 claims (including 278,334 claims involving ratings) pending at VA regional offices when President Bush took office in January of 2001.   During the first year of the Bush presidency, several factors caused that number to grow dramatically until it reached 601,237 (including 423,596 claims involving ratings) as of March 8, 2002.  Since then, steady progress has been made in reducing the regional office backlog to 469,914 (including 347,522 claims involving ratings) as of October 18, 2002.   Despite these facts, Administration officials continue to claim that the large backlog was inherited by the Bush Administration.  

According to the Associated Press on August 14, 2002, VA Secretary Principi reported that when he assumed office more than 650,000 claims were pending rather than the 402,775 shown on the Monday Morning Reports.  Also, VA officials have used different measures in an effort to show the backlog has been reduced.  VA has chosen to compare apples to oranges when making its claim of slashing the backlog. 

Evans said VA compared the total backlog of claims pending to the portion of those claims which require a rating.  By comparing the total number of claims reported by VA to the smaller number of “rating” claims pending, VA and administration officials claim to have dramatically slashed the backlog.  Noting that the backlog has not been reduced below the number pending when Bush took office, and certainly not “slashed” Evans said, “the men and women who have served our Nation deserve to have consistent correct information provided by government officials.”  Comparing the “total number of claims pending at one point in time to the partial number of rating claims pending at another time can be false and misleading” said Evans. 

Evans also said efforts to reduce the backlog of pending claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs has become an end in itself.  Evans believes correct decisions in a timely manner are needed on veterans’ claims.  The goal must be “getting it right the first time” and not simply reducing the backlog by making inaccurate decisions.  “I want VA to make progress on the backlog to provide better and more accurate service to veterans, not merely report a numerical goal can be achieved,” said Evans.  By focusing on the backlog of recently filed claims at regional offices, VA may be doing a disservice to some veterans whose remanded claims have not been given the expedited treatment required by law.

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