AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The Department of Veterans Affairs’ regional office in Waco has significantly reduced its backlog of pending disability claims.
But despite the rosy numbers, it’s unlikely to reach its goal of eliminating the entire backlog by the end of the year.
The Austin American-Statesman (http://atxne.ws/1Pb7p7Z ) reports that the Waco Regional Benefit Office had nearly 52,000 pending claims in summer 2012. The number has since declined by 66 percent to approximately 17,000 pending claims.
The number of claims officially designated as backlogged _ or pending more than 125 days _ has fallen even more steeply from around 40,000 to less than 6,000.
The office used to lead the nation in backlogged disability claims. Its backlog now ranks fourth nationally.