WHAT: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will release a new report on the VA disability claims backlog, including an examination of its causes, concern about slowed progress and recommended steps the government still must take to get the backlog to zero and keep it there. The Red Tape Report is the first comprehensive report to define the VA disability compensation system and its backlog, re-examine existing challenges to the system and the changes made thus far, and address existing gaps moving forward.

The United States has made a long-standing commitment to its veterans to compensate them for injuries and illnesses sustained as a result of their service through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation system. However, over the last decade, the number of disability compensation claims filed ballooned and the VA struggled to keep up. In March 2013, the backlog peaked with over 600,000 claims waiting over 125 days. Since then, the VA has implemented a number of initiatives to bring the backlog down. Yet, after a surge of progress, the backlog has hovered above 400,000.

President Obama highlighted the backlog as a national priority in the State of the Union address – the Red Tape Report is a road map for getting the backlog to zero and keeping it there.

The report will be released during a roundtable with veteran stakeholders.

WHO: Jacqueline Maffucci, Ph.D., Research Director, IAVA

Veteran Stakeholders

WHEN: Monday, February 3 at noon

WHERE: 777 N. Capitol Street, NE; Washington, DC