Not a lawyer or VSO, just a veteran building Claim Raven who analyzed every Monday Morning Workload Report the VA published in 2025.

TL;DR - The Numbers That Matter

If you have a pending VA claim right now, here's what you need to know:

The good news: Processing times improved significantly in 2025. The VA went from an average of 108 days in January to 96 days in December - an 11% improvement. The backlog (claims over 125 days) dropped by a massive 60%.

The reality: Your claim is probably stuck in "Gathering Evidence." That's where 80% of all pending claims are sitting right now. Not in "Pending Decision" like most people think - in evidence gathering.

The timing: If you filed in February, you hit the worst month of the year (111-day average). If you filed in October, you got the best month (85 days). That's a 26-day swing just based on when you filed.

Your Regional Office matters - a lot: The fastest RO in America (Salt Lake City) processed claims in 77 days on average. The slowest (Washington DC) took 178 days. Same system, 101-day difference.

I'm going to walk you through exactly what I found. All of it is backed by actual VA data, not Reddit anecdotes or "my buddy told me" stories.

Why I Did This

I've been building Claim Raven - a platform to help veterans navigate VA claims. Part of that means understanding what's actually happening in the VA system, not what people think is happening.

Every week, the VA publishes the Monday Morning Workload Report. It's public data, but it's buried in Excel files that nobody reads. I downloaded all 52 reports from 2025 and analyzed every single one.

Here's what I tracked:

  • 52 weeks of national data (every report published in 2025)
  • 57+ Regional Offices tracked weekly
  • Multiple claim types (original claims, increases, supplementals, appeals)
  • Processing stages (where claims actually get stuck)
  • Seasonal patterns (best and worst times to have a pending claim)

This is the most comprehensive analysis of VA claims processing that I know of. Let's dig in.

The National Picture: 2025 By The Numbers

Processing Times Actually Improved

Here's the headline: The VA got faster in 2025.

  • January 2025: 108 days average processing time
  • December 2025: 96 days average processing time
  • Best week: October 4 hit 85 days
  • Worst week: February 22 peaked at 111 days
  • Year average: 99 days

That's an 11.1% improvement from start to finish.

The backlog (claims over 125 days) dropped even more dramatically:

  • January: 234,606 claims over 125 days (26.3% of pending claims)
  • December: 95,045 claims over 125 days (17.3% of pending claims)
  • Reduction: 60% fewer claims in the backlog

What this means for you: If you're filing now (early 2026), you're entering a system that's in better shape than it was 12 months ago. The VA actually made progress.

The Seasonal Pattern Is Real

Most people don't think about when they file a claim. They should.

Worst months to have a pending claim:

  1. February (111 days average)
  2. March (109 days)
  3. January (108 days)

Best months to have a pending claim:

  1. October (87 days average)
  2. September (90 days)
  3. November (90 days)

The pattern is clear: The VA is slowest in winter/early spring, fastest in fall.

Why? A few theories:

  • Post-holiday backlog - Claims that came in during November-December holidays hit the system in January-February
  • End-of-fiscal-year push - The VA's fiscal year ends September 30, so there's a big push in Q4 to close claims
  • Staffing - Summer vacations slow things down in June-July, but by September everyone's back and focused

Tactical takeaway: If you can control timing, avoid filing in December-January. File in August-September to ride the end-of-FY wave.

Claims Pending Dropped Significantly

Total pending claims went down:

  • January: 385,676 claims pending
  • December: 332,206 claims pending
  • Reduction: 13.9% fewer claims in the system

This is huge. The VA didn't just process claims faster - they actually reduced the total inventory. That's what you want to see.

Regional Office Rankings: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Your Regional Office matters more than almost anything else in this process. Here's the brutal truth.

Top 10 Fastest Regional Offices (2025 Average)

  1. Salt Lake City: 77 days
  2. Lincoln: 79 days
  3. Indianapolis: 81 days
  4. Milwaukee PMC: 86 days
  5. Columbia: 88 days
  6. Milwaukee: 93 days
  7. New York: 94 days
  8. Louisville: 95 days
  9. Philadelphia: 96 days
  10. Wichita: 97 days

If your claim is with one of these ROs, you're in good hands. Salt Lake City is processing claims 31 days faster than the national average.

Top 10 Slowest Regional Offices (2025 Average)

  1. Washington DC: 178 days (yes, really)
  2. St. Louis RMC: 112 days
  3. St. Paul PMC: 109 days
  4. Detroit: 107 days
  5. Pittsburgh: 107 days
  6. St. Paul: 107 days
  7. San Juan: 107 days
  8. Togus: 107 days
  9. Manila: 105 days
  10. Philadelphia PMC: 105 days

Washington DC is in a category by itself - nearly twice the national average. If your claim is with DC, I'm sorry. The data doesn't lie.

Most Improved ROs (Year-over-Year)

Some Regional Offices made massive improvements:

  1. Washington DC: Improved 67% (from 296 days to 178 - still the slowest, but getting better)
  2. Philadelphia: Improved 16%
  3. Wichita: Improved 13%
  4. Pittsburgh: Improved 13%
  5. Indianapolis: Improved 11%

What this tells me: Even the worst-performing offices can turn it around. Washington's improvement is actually impressive - they're still terrible, but they're working on it.

Most Deteriorated ROs

A few offices got worse:

  • Philadelphia PMC: Slowed down 72% (ouch)
  • Milwaukee PMC: Slowed down 27%
  • St. Paul PMC: Slowed down 27%

These are all Pension Management Centers (PMC), which handle pension claims differently than disability claims. The slowdown might be related to specific pension policy changes.

Where Claims Actually Get Stuck

This is the most important section for anyone with a pending claim.

Most veterans think their claim is stuck "waiting for a decision." That's usually wrong.

The Reality of Claim Stages (December 2025 Data)

When I analyzed where claims were actually sitting in the system, here's what I found:

  • Pending Development (claim hasn't started): 8.4% of claims
  • Pending Evidence (gathering records/exams): 80.3% of claims ← THIS IS IT
  • Pending Decision (waiting for rater): 9.3% of claims
  • Pending Award (first-level review): 1.2% of claims
  • Pending Authorization (final review): 0.8% of claims

80% of all pending claims are stuck gathering evidence.

Not waiting for a rater. Not in review. Waiting for evidence.

What "Gathering Evidence" Actually Means

When your claim is in "Pending Evidence," it means:

  • Waiting for your private medical records
  • Waiting for VA medical records
  • Waiting for your C&P exam to be scheduled
  • Waiting for your C&P exam results to be uploaded
  • Waiting for buddy letters or other supporting docs

This stage is the longest because it depends on external parties (private doctors, contract examiners, mail systems). The VA can't control when your doctor's office faxes records or when VES/LHI schedules your exam.

How to Unstick Yourself

If you're stuck in "Gathering Evidence," here's what you can do:

  1. Call the VA and ask specifically what they're waiting for - Don't just check VA.gov. Call and get a human to tell you what's missing.
  2. Get your own records - Don't wait for the VA to request them. Get them yourself and upload via VA.gov or mail them in. Yes, even if the VA already requested them. Redundancy helps.
  3. Follow up on C&P exams - If you had an exam but your claim hasn't moved, call and confirm the report was uploaded. Sometimes exams get completed but reports don't make it into your file.
  4. Use the evidence checklist - I built a free tool for this at Claim Raven that tells you what evidence you actually need for your specific conditions.

The VA isn't trying to delay your claim (usually) - they're just waiting on something. Your job is to figure out what and eliminate the wait.

Quarterly Breakdown: How 2025 Unfolded

Q1 2025 (January - March): Post-Holiday Surge

  • Average processing time: 109 days
  • Claims pending: 371,000 average
  • Backlog: 223,000 (24% of pending)

Q1 was rough. The holiday surge from late 2024 hit the system hard. February was the worst month of the entire year at 111 days.

Q2 2025 (April - June): Spring Improvement

  • Average processing time: 103 days
  • Claims pending: 348,000 average
  • Backlog: 180,000 (21% of pending)

Things started improving. The VA worked through the backlog and processing times dropped. June saw the first sub-100-day weeks.

Q3 2025 (July - September): Summer Acceleration

  • Average processing time: 93 days
  • Claims pending: 341,000 average
  • Backlog: 144,000 (19% of pending)

This is where the VA really hit its stride. September averaged 90 days - a massive improvement from the 111-day February average.

Q4 2025 (October - December): Year-End Push

  • Average processing time: 89 days
  • Claims pending: 343,000 average
  • Backlog: 104,000 (17% of pending)

The fiscal year ends September 30, and the VA always pushes hard in Q4 to show good numbers. October hit the lowest processing time of the year (85 days). December ticked back up slightly to 96 days, likely due to holiday slowdowns.

Pattern: The VA consistently performs best in Q3 and Q4. If you're filing a claim or appeal, time it for late summer to catch the momentum.

Claim Type Differences

Different types of claims move at different speeds. Here's what I found:

Original Claims (010/110 Series)

These are first-time disability claims. They tend to take longer because:

  • The VA has to gather your entire service treatment records
  • You likely need multiple C&P exams
  • There's no existing file to build on

Average processing time: About 10% slower than the national average

Increase Claims (020 Series)

These are claims to increase an existing rating. They move faster because:

  • Your file already exists
  • The VA knows your condition history
  • Usually just need updated medical evidence

Average processing time: About 5-10% faster than the national average

Supplemental Claims (040 Series - AMA)

These are appeals with new evidence. They can be fast or slow depending on:

  • How much new evidence you have
  • Whether you need another C&P exam
  • How busy your Regional Office is

Average processing time: Highly variable, but generally competitive with original claims

Key takeaway:

If you have an existing rating, filing an increase claim is usually faster than filing for a new condition. Strategically, if you're at 70% and want to get to 100%, focus on increasing your existing conditions before adding new ones.

What the Data Tells Us About Strategy

After analyzing all this data, here are the tactical insights:

  1. Your Regional Office Is Your Biggest Variable

The 101-day gap between the fastest and slowest RO is bigger than any other factor. You can't always choose your RO (it's based on your address), but you can:

  • Move to a faster RO's jurisdiction if you're planning to relocate anyway
  • Know what to expect based on your RO - if you're with DC, don't panic when you're at 150 days; it's normal for them
  • Escalate appropriately - if you're with Salt Lake City and you're past 120 days, something's actually wrong
  1. Timing Matters More Than You Think

Filing in February vs October could mean a 24-day difference in processing time just based on when the VA is busy vs efficient.

Best filing windows:

  • Late August through October (catching the end-of-FY push)
  • Early summer (June-July before vacation season fully hits)

Worst filing windows:

  • December-January (holiday surge)
  • Late February-March (backlog from holidays)
  1. Evidence Gathering Is The Actual Battle

Since 80% of claims are stuck in evidence gathering, your focus should be on eliminating evidence delays:

  • Get records yourself instead of waiting for the VA to request them
  • Schedule private C&P exams if you can afford it (they move faster)
  • Use buddy letters to fill gaps while waiting for official records
  • Upload everything to VA.gov the second you get it
  1. The VA System Is Improving

This might be controversial, but the data shows it: The VA got better in 2025.

  • Processing times down 11%
  • Backlog down 60%
  • Total pending claims down 14%

Is it perfect? Hell no. Is it better than 2024? Yes.

What this means: The doom-and-gloom "the VA is getting worse every year" narrative isn't supported by the data. The system is improving. Slowly, but it's improving.

Predictions for 2026

Based on 2025 trends, here's what I expect in 2026:

Processing Times Will Stay Around 90-100 Days

The VA found a sustainable rhythm in Q4 2025. I don't expect major improvements or deterioration from that baseline.

Prediction: 2026 average will be 95-100 days.

The Backlog Will Continue Shrinking

The VA reduced the backlog by 60% in 2025. They'll keep pushing on this.

Prediction: Backlog drops below 15% of pending claims by end of 2026.

Regional Office Gaps Will Narrow

Washington DC improved 67% year-over-year. The worst performers are getting attention.

Prediction: The gap between fastest and slowest ROs shrinks from 101 days to under 80 days by end of 2026.

Evidence Gathering Will Remain The Bottleneck

Until the VA fundamentally changes how they gather medical records, this won't change.

Prediction: 75-80% of claims will still be stuck in evidence gathering in 2026.

What This Means For You Right Now

If you have a pending claim:

  1. Check which stage you're in - Call the VA and ask specifically. Don't just look at VA.gov.
  2. If you're in "Gathering Evidence," take action - Get your own records. Don't wait.
  3. Know your Regional Office's average - Use the rankings above to set realistic expectations.
  4. If you're past your RO's average + 30 days, escalate - Call, file a Congressional inquiry, whatever you need to do.
  5. Stop checking VA.gov 5 times a day - Seriously, it's not helping. The data shows most claims move in batches, not continuously. Check once a week max.

If you're about to file:

  1. Time it right if you can - Late summer/early fall is your best window.
  2. Front-load your evidence - Upload everything you have on day one. Don't trickle it in.
  3. Use the Evidence Checklist - Know what you need before you file.
  4. Get nexus letters if needed - Especially for secondary conditions. Don't wait for the VA to figure out the connection.
  5. File your Intent to File now - Locks in your effective date while you gather everything.

How I'm Using This Data

I'm building all of this into Claim Raven:

  • RO Performance Watch - Track your Regional Office's current processing time vs historical average
  • Evidence Checklist - Condition-specific guide to what you actually need
  • C&P Exam Prep - What to expect and how to prepare based on your condition
  • Raven Eye - Upload your decision letter and get a plain-English explanation of what happened

This data analysis is exactly why I'm building these tools. The VA system is complex, but it's not random. There are patterns. Once you know the patterns, you can navigate more effectively.

The Bottom Line

2025 was a good year for VA claims processing. Processing times improved, the backlog shrank, and most Regional Offices made progress.

But the system is still slow. 99 days average is better than 108, but it's still over 3 months. And if you're stuck in evidence gathering (which most people are), it can feel endless.

Your job is to be strategic about it:

  • Time your filing right
  • Front-load your evidence
  • Know your RO's patterns
  • Stay on top of the evidence stage

The VA isn't your enemy. It's just a massive bureaucracy. Bureaucracies are slow, but they're also predictable. Use the predictability to your advantage.

I'll keep tracking this data in 2026 and updating these insights. If you want to see the tools I'm building from this research, check out Claim Raven.

And if you're stuck on your claim and want to talk through it, DM me. I'm building this to help us - all of us.

Methodology & Data Sources

Data source: VA Monday Morning Workload Reports (publicly available at va.gov)

Analysis period: January 4, 2025 - December 27, 2025 (52 weekly reports)

Metrics tracked:

  • Average Days Pending (ADP)
  • Average Days to Complete (ADC)
  • Total Claims Pending
  • Claims Over 125 Days (backlog)
  • Regional Office performance
  • Claim stage distribution

Tools used: Python, pandas, matplotlib for data analysis and visualization

Limitations:

  • This data reflects claims in the Rating Bundle (disability compensation claims)
  • Pension claims and other benefit types may have different patterns
  • Stage data is snapshot-based, not claim-level tracking
  • Regional Office assignments can change, affecting comparisons

Transparency: I'm the founder of Claim Raven, but this analysis is based entirely on public VA data. All findings are verifiable.

Want more analysis like this? I'm planning deep-dives on:

  • Regional Office-specific performance trends
  • Claim stage bottleneck analysis
  • PACT Act impact on processing times
  • AMA appeals performance (Supplemental vs HLR vs Board)

Let me know which one you want to see first.

  • Landon

Building Claim Raven | U.S. Army Veteran

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer or VSO. This is educational analysis based on public data, not legal advice. For help with your specific claim, consult an accredited VSO or attorney.