The time frames that Veterans Affairs sets out are on the completion of an application, which includes all of the medical documentation that usually is sourced by only the veteran and provided to Veterans Affairs. On completion of that—and it is determined solely by Veterans Affairs when that's done—the time frame is 16 weeks for Veterans Affairs to make a decision on an initial application for benefits. For somebody who is putting in their application for the first time, saying they were either injured in the service and it was years ago or whenever, that 16-week time frame is what Veterans Affairs tells the veteran, and we know it's never met or very rarely met, and veterans wait years. The problem that veterans run into is that you cannot get benefits and treatment for your medical condition that you're putting your application in for until that decision has been made by Veterans Affairs.
On October 10th, 2024. See this statement in context.