A coalition member was forced to cut more than $ 430 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs to offset the money allocated to the budget as the department struggled with a delay of 50,000 claims.
Former Veterans Affairs Minister Andrew Gee, who held the portfolio from July 2021 to May, told the Royal Commission on Veterans Defense and Suicide that there was a clear link between the backlog of claims and suicide rates in the defense community.
Former Veterans Affairs Minister Andrew Gee speaking to the Royal Veterans Defense and Suicide Commission.
He said the department was struggling with limited staff and that the system was “crying out for reform”.
A report on the department’s compensation claims process was found in December 2021, there were 51,000 claims available, of which 17,000 were being processed.
He found that the delay was due to the fact that DVA “could not keep up with the growing demand for claims”, and total claims grew by 48% between June 2019 and July 2021.
Despite significant delays and limited staffing for claims processing, Gee said he was forced to cut $ 430 million to offset the additional costs, which he said was counterintuitive.
“It’s like one step forward and two steps back,” the former minister said in the consultation.
“This was a big problem because it has to come from somewhere, and the department doesn’t impose it, that’s the government.