VA Disability Claims, Decision Errors and Review Options

VA’s Inspector General estimated errors in about 17,900 painful-scar disability decisions and identified $5.6 million in overpayments; VA disputes extrapolation from the 130-case sample. VA also reported record fiscal 2026 claim processing and a sharply reduced backlog, but those agencywide figures do not guarantee individual wait times. Other-than-honorable discharge does not automatically end eligibility: VA makes a separate character-of-discharge decision, and the 2024 rule broadened the compelling-circumstances exception. Claimants should respond to VA requests with supporting records and seek accredited VSO help; review options generally have a one-year deadline.