The Department of Veterans Affairs is soliciting support from contractors to help process the  large number of GI Bill benefits applications the department was flooded with this fall.

As you well know, the VA’s failure to process claims for thousands of veterans this fall led to a public outcry as many veterans were unable to pay for expenses like tuition, food and housing as a result. Although the VA responded by issuing emergency checks to veterans of $3000 or less, many veterans still haven’t received the benefits they are entitled to and expected.  Some have reported having to make a difficult decision between taking a private loan out and quitting school due to the lack of timely funding promised by the VA.

Now, the VA is poised to hire a subcontractor to help them manage the overwhelming response received to the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. The subcontractor will be tasked with processing the least complex claims and their work will be reviewed and authorized by VA personnel.

Unfortunately, as we all know, cutting through government red tape could mean weeks before a solicitor is actually selected for the project, and additional time before they will be fully operational. If you are still waiting for the VA to process your claim, subcontractor support will likely not resolve the backlog problem overnight, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.