More than a decade ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs faced national furor because thousands of claims for monthly disability benefits were waiting years for adjudication. Now the VA reports a claim can be processed in 135 days.

The VA reports reasonable turnaround times after bipartisan legislation passed in 2022 extending benefits to veterans who experienced serious health conditions following exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and the burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Two years after the expansion of benefits the VA touted signing up more than 1 million veterans and their survivors to receive monthly checks in August through the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, also known as the PACT Act.

While the number of veterans who signed up for the PACT Act is no longer tracked, in El Paso County, for example, the community saw an outpouring of interest in the new benefits with more than 700 people attending a single claims clinic in 2022.

El Paso County Veteran Services Manager Charles Graves said in an interview one of the changes in the legislation that reached high numbers of veterans was the federal government acknowledging that Thailand was sprayed with Agent Orange and that it caused hypertension in veterans.

It’s a change that can support veterans’ survivors, as well, he noted. For example, if a veteran served in 1973 in Thailand and passed away in 1995 from a heart attack and had hypertension, his widow could qualify for monthly benefits.

“That is life-changing,” Graves said.

Veterans and their survivors can still apply for VA benefits through the PACT Act if the veterans have health conditions, such as certain cancers, that are presumed to have been caused by their toxic exposure.

Over his five years with the office, Graves said he has noticed the VA become more efficient and streamlined. It also staffed up to help process claims during the PACT Act, he said.

While his office has gotten questions on the coming VA layoffs, there is no detail on how that could impact claims processing. The county’s Division of Veterans Affairs office is funded by local taxpayers.

Graves’ office is scheduling veterans about five weeks out right now for appointments, but the office has built in flexibility to see veterans such as those facing proposals from the VA to reduce their monthly benefits, he said.

The El Paso County Veterans Service Office can be reached at 719-520-7750. More info is available at justiceservices.elpasoco.com/veterans-services.

Colorado law requires each county to have a veterans service officer who can assist veterans with their disability claims free. A full list can be found at vets.colorado.gov.