WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today a significant achievement in its support for Veterans and their survivors. With three-quarters of the fiscal year completed, the VA has granted benefits to 1.1 million Veterans and their survivors, marking an unprecedented record in the agency’s history. In 2024 alone, the VA has awarded $137 billion in benefits, which includes $127 billion in compensation and pension benefits.
This year, the VA processed over 2 million claims, setting another record and positioning the department to exceed last year’s numbers by more than 27%. The success rate for these claims stands at 64.6%, with the average disability rating for Veterans reaching 70%, translating into over $20,000 per year in disability compensation for each.
The VA’s accomplishments align with President Biden’s commitment to supporting Veterans, a central theme in his Unity Agenda. The PACT Act, signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, has been instrumental in these achievements, contributing to the largest expansion of Veteran care and benefits in recent history. Of the claims processed this year, 655,808 were related to the PACT Act.
Joshua Jacobs, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, emphasized the department’s commitment: “Our goal is to make sure every Veteran and every survivor gets the benefits they’ve earned for their service to this country.”
Additional strides in Veteran care include:
- Increased Health Care Use: The VA is set to provide approximately 127 million health care appointments in 2024, an increase from last year’s 120 million appointments.
- Higher Enrollment Rates: Over the last year, 412,867 Veterans enrolled in VA health care—a 27% increase from the previous year and the highest since 2017.
- Surging Claims Applications: Veterans submitted 2,433,729 claims in 2023, with this year’s applications on track to surpass that record by 2.9%.
- Growing Trust: Trust in the VA has reached a high of 80.4%, up significantly from 55% in 2016.
The VA continues to encourage Veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors to learn more and apply for the benefits they are entitled to. Information on the PACT Act and other services can be found at VA.gov/PACT or by calling 1-800-MYVA411.
