The announcement of Project 2025 — a proposal created by a conservative think tank called The Heritage Foundation — has garnered its share of headlines that claim it will hurt our military veterans and cut funding to essential veteran programs. We understand the alarm and know that veterans want to know how Project 2025 will affect VA benefits and we wanted to try and answer questions about Project 2025 that are important to the veterans we serve at VA Benefits Attorneys. Questions like — how will Project 2025 affect VA disability claims?

Will Project 2025 Reduce VA Disability Claims and Benefits?

The key aspect of Project 2025 is to make government programs and entities like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) more efficient and reduce unnecessary spending. The elements of Project 2025 specific to the Department of Veterans Affairs were authored by former VA Chief of Staff Brooks Tucker and outline how the program would change disability ratings and benefits for future claims. 

A primary budget concern in Project 2025 is continued spending on disabilities that may not be related to military service. Tucker outlines one of the chief concerns with VA spending and how it affects veteran disability ratings within the proposal:

“The VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) has assigned disability ratings to a growing number of health conditions over time; some are tenuously related or wholly unrelated to military service. The further growth in presumptive service-connected medical conditions pursued by Congress and Veteran Service Organizations, begun with Agent Orange and most recently for Burn Pits/Airborne Toxins, has led to historic increases in mandatory VBA spending in recent years.”

The Veterans Affairs Schedule for Ratings Disabilities is responsible for reviewing the policies that impact veteran disability ratings and how those ratings are assessed — but the process can be slow due to political oversight. Project 2025 proposes accelerated reviews and changes to the VASRD that will help the Department of Veterans Affairs reduce spending. What this means for veterans is that disability ratings for certain service-connected disabilities will be reduced or ineligible for future disability claims.

Will Project 2025 Reduce Disability Ratings for Current Disabled Veterans?

Veterans are concerned that if Project 2025 is implemented and changes are made to the VASRD, that it will reduce their current benefits and many headlines have propagated that idea. The reality is that Project 2025 primarily targets future VA disability claims and does not seek to remove current disability claims.

The Project 2025 proposal states:

“The next Administration should explore how VASRD reviews could be accelerated with clearance from OMB to target significant cost savings from revising disability rating awards for future claimants while preserving them fully or partially for existing claimants.”

How Will Project 2025 Affect the VA Disability Claims Process?

Another element of Project 2025 is a revised and improved disability claims process for veterans that targets efficiency. The proposal highlights Express 30 — a pilot program and commitment that a veteran’s first disability claim be completed within the first 30 days. Project 2025 also proposes that additional private companies be hired to perform disability medical examinations and an increase in automated claims services for veterans that may make the claims process more efficient for veterans.

READ MORE: VA Disability Claims Trends to Watch for in 2025

Project 2025 has been in the press a lot lately and veterans want to know — how will Project 2025 affect VA disability claims? We hope that this breakdown of potential changes to the disability claims process and disability ratings proposed by Project 2025 answers your questions. Contact VA Benefits Attorneys today for more information on the VA disability claims process!