Claims backlog at VA will double to 400k as workers face increased risk of burnout: report

The Department of Veterans Affairs warned that the backlog to process claims could double over the next year, reaching "potentially up to 400,000."

VA Undersecretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs said the agency has seen a spike in disability claims in large part as a result of the PACT Act, a law signed last year that aims to improve care for veterans who have been exposed to toxic material, according to a Military.com report Monday.

The influx of claims could lead the VA backlog, which is defined as claims older than 125 days, to double over the next year, Jacobs said, forcing the agency to balance quickly processing those claims while attempting to avoid burning out its workforce.

More than 560,000 new disability compensation claims have been filed since the new legislation passed last year, while the VA has increased its workforce by about 15% to help tackle the new claims.