The Department of Veterans affairs had some good news yesterday when it revealed the number of people signing up for its online service was ahead of expectations, but the victory was short-lived. Rep. Darrell Issa says the VA's benefits backlog is still unacceptable, reports Military Times.
Issa, the chair of the House Oversight and Investigations Committee, pointed to two factors for his displeasure. Chiefly, he says the average waiting time of 188 days is far too long. He also said the VA's 16 percent error rate is too high. Allison Hickey, the VA’s undersecretary for benefits, agrees but says that changes are on the way.
"We are committed to ensuring veterans do not have to wait too long to get the benefits they have earned and deserve. A prolonged wait is unacceptable, and we are implementing a robust plan to fix current delays," she told Issa's committee recently, according to the publication.
Aside from moving online, one of the biggest plans the VA has in mind is improved training. Officials say the new training method will not only increase productivity, but also equip employees with the tools be more accurate.