The backlog of disability claims under review by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has shrunk dramatically since earlier this year. But the VA's offices in New England still have more than 18,000 pending claims.
Of the disability claims awaiting action at New England regional offices of the VA, the department identifies just over half as "backlogged." That means the vet has been waiting more than 125 days for an answer. Johnna Roche is the acting service center manager at the office in Hartford. She says some of the backlog at her office is from outside Connecticut--from as far away as San Diego.
"The work for Hartford proper was in pretty good shape so we're assisting the national workload, as no veteran should have to wait for their claim no matter where they live," Roche says.
The backlog at New England offices has dropped 38 percent since this past March, according to numbers provided by the VA. The department is aiming to have no backlogged claims as of 2015.
