Technology

Standardized form aimed to expedite VA disability claims

Primitive information technology could make a huge dent in the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

September 26, 2014 10:35 am

< a min read

Primitive information technology could make a huge dent in the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA will introduce a new standardized form for veterans to fill out when they request a disability claim. The new system is paper-based, but the VA never had a standardized form for the claims. Instead veterans could write anything they wanted on any piece of paper to hand into the agency. The VA says the standardized forms will help veterans clearly state what they need, and help the agency sort the information so it doesn’t get lost. The new forms include an “Intent to file” section so veterans can take their time collecting the necessary paperwork without delaying the process