In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a significant milestone in its operations. The agency processed over 2 million disability benefits claims in fiscal year 2025, surpassing the previous record set in 2024 by more than a month. This achievement reflects a 14% increase in the pace of claim processing compared to the previous year. Additionally, the average wait time for a veteran's claim decreased from 141.5 days in January to 131.8 days by June 21, 2025.
VA Budget Tops $400 Billion for 2025
The VA's budget for 2025 has surpassed $400 billion, marking a significant increase from previous years. This boost in funding is primarily attributed to higher spending on mandated benefits and medical care, including provisions under the Toxic Exposures Fund, which is required by federal law.
VA Disability Payment Schedule for June 2025
Veterans receiving disability benefits can expect their June 2025 payments to arrive on Friday, May 30. This timely distribution ensures that veterans have access to their benefits without unnecessary delays.
VA Disability Benefits Increase Confirmed for July 2025
The Department of Veterans Affairs has confirmed a 2.5% increase in VA disability pay for July 2025. This adjustment aims to assist veterans and their families in coping with inflation and rising living costs. Importantly, the increase will be applied automatically, requiring no additional paperwork or steps from veterans.
VA Hospitals Remove Politics and Marital Status from Guidelines Protecting Patients from Discrimination
The Department of Veterans Affairs has imposed new guidelines on VA hospitals nationwide that remove language that explicitly prohibited doctors from discriminating against patients based on their political beliefs or marital status. The new rules, obtained by The Guardian, also apply to psychologists, dentists, and a host of other occupations. They have already gone into effect in at least some VA medical centers. But language within VA hospital bylaws requiring healthcare professionals to care for veterans regardless of their politics and marital status has been explicitly eliminated from those bylaws, raising questions about whether individual workers could now be free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not expressly protected by federal law.
