The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is looking to utilize automation technologies to improve its Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process for eligible survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and servicemembers.
The agency announced the change on May 5 as part of a three-pronged approach to eliminate barriers and streamline the process for how survivors apply for and receive VA benefits and services.
Specifically, the VA said it will begin work “immediately” to find areas where automation can be used to make the DIC claims process easier to navigate. The DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit available to survivors of servicemembers who died in the line of duty, or survivors of a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness.
“VA now automates more than 1,000 DIC claims payments or adjustments per day and is in the process of ongoing enhancements to increase automation that will expedite survivors’ claims and improve their experience,” the VA said in a May 5 press release.
“VA will also be identifying additional areas where automation can be used to make all benefits delivery processes easier to navigate for eligible surviving dependents,” it added.
In addition to the automation improvement, the VA also announced that starting this month, the VA’s Office of Survivors Assistance will be moved from the Veterans Benefits Administration to the Office of the VA Secretary.
Also starting this month, the VA said it will create a “white-glove” survivor outreach team to guide and assist eligible survivors throughout their DIC claims process. The agency said the team will consist of experts based out of the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office.
“The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That’s why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support, and compassion they’ve earned,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement.
Automating VA’s claims process is something that lawmakers – including Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif. – have been wanting to see. The lawmaker introduced the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act last year, which aimed to make automation tools available to VA employees to process benefits claims for survivors and veterans more efficiently.
The bill advanced out of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs but failed to receive a final vote in the House.