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Using Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) published claims data, we’ve created a chart of the current VA claims backlog by state in 2024.
It should come as no surprise that the backlog of VA disability claims is highest in the states where more veterans live (more veterans = more VA disability claims).
For example, Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, and North Carolina have the highest number of backlogged claims of the 50 states.
Wyoming, Delaware, Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Vermont have the lowest number of backlogged claims.
Table of Contents
Key Findings of Our Research
- The VA has made solid progress toward burning down the backlog of disability claims in all 50 states over the past seven months.
- Texas (27,178), Florida (23,452), California (17,753), Georgia (12,151), and North Carolina (10,924) have the highest number of backlogged VA claims.
- Wyoming (788), Delaware (733), Rhode Island (732), North Dakota (636), and Vermont (308) have the lowest number of backlogged VA claims.
- The VA claims backlog hit its highest point in a decade at 417,855 in January 2024, but has since decreased by 36% to 267,674 as of July 2024.
Current VA Claims Backlog by State 2024
| State | Total Backlogged Claims (High to Low) |
|---|---|
| Texas | 27,178 |
| Florida | 23,452 |
| California | 17,753 |
| Georgia | 12,151 |
| North Carolina | 10,924 |
| Virginia | 9,807 |
| Ohio | 7,305 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,289 |
| South Carolina | 6,380 |
| Illinois | 6,361 |
| Alabama | 6,283 |
| New York | 6,262 |
| Arizona | 5,882 |
| Tennessee | 5,824 |
| Michigan | 5,470 |
| Washington | 5,069 |
| Maryland | 4,952 |
| Louisiana | 4,597 |
| Indiana | 4,529 |
| Colorado | 4,440 |
| Oklahoma | 4,324 |
| Missouri | 4,138 |
| Kentucky | 3,997 |
| New Jersey | 3,826 |
| Mississippi | 3,688 |
| Wisconsin | 3,474 |
| Nevada | 3,198 |
| Arkansas | 2,941 |
| Minnesota | 2,918 |
| Massachusetts | 2,690 |
| Oregon | 2,630 |
| Iowa | 2,136 |
| Kansas | 1,957 |
| New Mexico | 1,833 |
| West Virginia | 1,659 |
| Hawaii | 1,556 |
| Nebraska | 1,495 |
| Idaho | 1,495 |
| Connecticut | 1,482 |
| Utah | 1,358 |
| Maine | 1,300 |
| Montana | 999 |
| South Dakota | 896 |
| New Hampshire | 871 |
| Alaska | 843 |
| Wyoming | 788 |
| Delaware | 733 |
| Rhode Island | 732 |
| North Dakota | 636 |
| Vermont | 308 |
Note: VBA data source is current as of July 2024.
Pending and Backlogged VA Claims by State 2024
According to VBA data as of July 2024, here’s the total number of pending and backlogged claims by state.
- A pending claim “includes VA disability compensation and VA pension claims received by VA that normally require a rating decision.”
- A backlogged claim is a “VA disability claim that requires a rating decision but has been pending for more than 125 days since receipt without a decision.”
| State | Pending Claims | Backlogged Claims |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 22,300 | 6,283 |
| Alaska | 3,076 | 843 |
| Arizona | 22,197 | 5,882 |
| Arkansas | 10,699 | 2,941 |
| California | 69,513 | 17,753 |
| Colorado | 17,385 | 4,440 |
| Connecticut | 5,247 | 1,482 |
| Delaware | 2,769 | 733 |
| Florida | 88,260 | 23,452 |
| Georgia | 44,528 | 12,151 |
| Hawaii | 5,755 | 1,556 |
| Idaho | 5,609 | 1,495 |
| Illinois | 21,520 | 6,361 |
| Indiana | 15,987 | 4,529 |
| Iowa | 7,254 | 2,136 |
| Kansas | 7,650 | 1,957 |
| Kentucky | 13,085 | 3,997 |
| Louisiana | 16,665 | 4,597 |
| Maine | 4,227 | 1,300 |
| Maryland | 18,270 | 4,952 |
| Massachusetts | 9,211 | 2,690 |
| Michigan | 19,540 | 5,470 |
| Minnesota | 10,877 | 2,918 |
| Mississippi | 12,833 | 3,688 |
| Missouri | 15,945 | 4,138 |
| Montana | 3,749 | 999 |
| Nebraska | 6,053 | 1,495 |
| Nevada | 12,141 | 3,198 |
| New Hampshire | 3,055 | 871 |
| New Jersey | 11,621 | 3,826 |
| New Mexico | 6,545 | 1,833 |
| New York | 21,684 | 6,262 |
| North Carolina | 41,583 | 10,924 |
| North Dakota | 1,986 | 636 |
| Ohio | 26,705 | 7,305 |
| Oklahoma | 16,165 | 4,324 |
| Oregon | 9,471 | 2,630 |
| Pennsylvania | 24,965 | 7,289 |
| Rhode Island | 2,366 | 732 |
| South Carolina | 24,603 | 6,380 |
| South Dakota | 3,098 | 896 |
| Tennessee | 22,888 | 5,824 |
| Texas | 104,723 | 27,178 |
| Utah | 5,393 | 1,358 |
| Vermont | 1,003 | 308 |
| Virginia | 36,736 | 9,807 |
| Washington | 19,081 | 5,069 |
| West Virginia | 5,807 | 1,659 |
| Wisconsin | 12,871 | 3,474 |
| Wyoming | 2,473 | 788 |
Note: VBA data source is current as of July 2024.
Conclusion and Wrap-Up
There’s positive movement in the processing of VA disability claims in all 50 states as claims adjudicators work to further decrease the backlog of claims.
The number of “backlogged” claims, which reached a 10-year peak at 417,855 in January 2024, has since decreased by 36% to 267,674 as of July 2024.
Similarly, “pending” claims also saw a significant reduction; after hitting a decade high of 1,098,340 in November 2023, they’ve fallen by 12% to 962,461 by July 2024.
This progress, made within just the past seven months, signifies substantial progress in tackling the issues surrounding VA claims processing.
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is a world-renowned VA disability benefits expert and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Motivated by his own frustration with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans secure their VA disability compensation faster, regardless of their past struggles with the VA. Since 2013, he has positively impacted the lives of over 10 million military, veterans, and their families.
A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian has extensive experience leading diverse teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, where he was a National Honor Scholar, ranking in the top 1% of his class.
