Government shutdown: VA backlog at risk

"The backlog will go in the wrong direction by 2,000 claims every day"” Soltz said. "They’ve cut into that thing a lot, and they’re going to lose that momentum. Every day that the government is shut down, the claims begin to build up"”

"As U.S. service members continue to work tirelessly, our government threatens to shut down tomorrow: prioritizing political point-making over the people it is charged with serving"” she said in a statement. "It is unthinkable that veterans who have sustained career-ending injuries, dependent on the disability benefits they earned, could be needlessly cut off from support"”

The VA is doing what it can to lessen the effects on the backlog in case of a shutdown, Soltz said, but a long shutdown will make missing payouts unavoidable.

"There is a real argument right now that the backlog will grow, the question is how much"” he said. "The assumption is that in 30 days they’re out of money, and veterans don’t get their service-connected checks anymore"”

Continue Learning:  http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/veterans-backlog-at-risk-under-shutdown-97593.html?hp=r3