It varies. We have claims that are years old and we are hearing of cases that were just decided by VAC last April, which is quite remarkable. During my earliest time here, you wouldn't have seen a case that was less than a year old. We know they're getting entitlement. How long they were in the VAC system, I can't speak to.
We sometimes have to give the veteran the chance to express their frustration. We know the system is burdensome, we know it's difficult, and we know we don't always get it right, but we constantly urge veterans not to give up, to pursue their rights: “Come back, and we will do our best to get it right.”
We certainly feel their frustration, but I also hear, in panels, of veterans who are grateful for the services they get from Veterans Affairs. The problem with it is that one veteran caught in a loop is one veteran too many, from my perspective, so we are doing our best to help that along where we can.