VA benefits backlog down 45% since Inauguration Day

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(The Center Square) – In a state with more than 600,000 veterans and another nearly 100,000 on active duty, a North Carolina congressman says there are good numbers coming from Veterans Affairs.

“The backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits is down 45%,” U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., told his constituents in a message on Sunday. “When President Trump took office in January, the backlog of veterans waiting more than 125 days for a decision on their VA disability benefits claim stood at more than 264,000.”

Waiting more than 125 days for a decision on disability claims is the definition used for calculating the numbers. Accountability, modernization and efficiency have been consistent components throughout the Trump administration.

From January 2021 to January 2025, or the time for the Biden administration, the backlog went from 213,000 to 264,000 – an increase of 24%. The September number stands at 144,000, a 45% decrease from President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“Our veterans deserve the best care, and I look forward to continued progress getting that number down even further,” Rouzer said. “Remember, the new administration has only been in office since January 20th! There is much more we can accomplish under the leadership of Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump.”

Included in Rouzer’s 7th Congressional District of southeastern North Carolina are Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point. The latter is the largest military terminal in the world and a key ammunition shipping point for the Army on the Atlantic Seaboard.