The Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) compensation program provides tax free monthly payments to veterans for the effects of disabilities caused by diseases, events, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service. VBA also has a pension program designed to provide supplemental income to eligible wartime veterans and their survivors with financial need.In response to a backlog of claims for the compensation and pension programs, Congress directed the OIG to• report the status of the compensation and pension benefits claims backlog,• review the causes of VA’s backlog, and• analyze how an initiative to digitally scan all paper based military personnel files has helped address and resolve the backlog.Beginning in fiscal year 2020, VBA experienced an increased backlog due to pauses in in person medical exams to establish disabilities and levels of impairment from the COVID 19 pandemic. Additionally, because of the implementation of the PACT Act of 2022, VBA anticipates a further increase in the claims backlog during fiscal year 2023. VBA developed a multilevel action plan to address the anticipated increase in backlog: hiring, technology, and proactive scanning, and the initiative to digitally scan all personnel files appears to be working well.
| Report Date | Agency Reviewed / Investigated | Report Title | Type | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Compensation and Pension Benefits Claims Backlog | Review | Agency-Wide | View Report | |
| Department of Defense | Audit of the Tracking and Reporting of DoD-Owned Shipping Containers | Audit | Agency-Wide | View Report | |
| Department of Defense | Evaluation of Accountability Controls for Defense Items Transferred Via Air to Ukraine within the U.S. European Command Area of Responsibility | Inspection / Evaluation | Agency-Wide | View Report | |
| Department of Defense | Review of the DoD’s Co-Location Policies to Support Dual Military Marriages | Review | Agency-Wide | View Report | |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | Performance Audit of Incurred Costs for Encompass, LLC, for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 | Other |
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View Report | |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | Performance Audit of Incurred Costs for Management Systems International, Inc., for Fiscal Year 2019 | Other |
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View Report | |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | Financial Audit of USAID Resources Managed by Children of God Relief Institute in Kenya Under Cooperative Agreement AID-623-A-13-00001, January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022 | Other |
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View Report | |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | Financial Audit of USAID Resources Managed by Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development in Zimbabwe Under Cooperative Agreement 72061320CA00005, October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022 | Other |
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View Report | |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | Financial Audit of USAID Resources Managed by Malawi College of Health Sciences Under Cooperative Agreement 72061221CA00005, May 5, 2021, to September 30, 2022 | Other |
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View Report | |
| Millennium Challenge Corporation | Financial Audit of Millennium Challenge Corporation Resources Managed by Millennium Challenge Account-Cte d'Ivoire, Under the Compact Agreement Between MCC and the Government of Cte d'Ivoire, for the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 | Other |
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View Report | |
