WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a rapid series of moves touching nearly every corner of the federal government’s veterans’ services, the Department of Veterans Affairs this past week announced major changes affecting education benefits, disability claims, homelessness services, construction funding, caregiver support, and medical billing — marking one of the most sweeping multi-day policy shifts in recent VA history.
At the top of the list, the VA said thousands of Veterans who were discharged for refusing the Biden-era COVID-19 vaccine mandate may have their GI Bill education benefits restored. The announcement follows President Trump’s January executive order reinstating service members discharged under the military vaccine mandate and the Department of War’s subsequent push to expedite discharge upgrades.
The Biden Administration separated more than 8,000 service members for refusing the vaccine, many with less-than-honorable discharges that rendered them ineligible for education assistance. After reviews, 899 Veterans have already regained GI Bill eligibility, with thousands more expected.
“The Biden Administration’s authoritarian COVID mandates upended the lives and livelihoods of thousands of service members,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said. “We are proud to help implement President Trump’s executive order and make these Veterans whole again.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment, calling the original mandate “one of the most atrocious attacks on our military,” and urging affected veterans to seek discharge upgrades and reapply for benefits.
On the same week, the VA announced that the nationwide backlog of disability and pension claims has plunged by more than 57 percent since Trump’s inauguration — dropping from 264,717 claims in January to 112,353. Officials credited record-breaking productivity, including an all-time high of three million claims processed in FY 2025 and the fastest pace ever recorded for reaching one million processed claims in a fiscal year.
“Veterans deserve fast and accurate claims decisions,” Collins said. “Our record processing productivity is proof these efforts are working.”
Housing initiatives also topped the department’s agenda. In FY 2025, the VA permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans — 4,011 more than the prior year and the highest total since the agency began tracking individuals rather than placements. Much of the progress came from May’s national “Getting Veterans Off the Street” initiative, which helped more than 25,000 unsheltered Veterans transition into interim or permanent housing.
The VA additionally confirmed that it will redirect $77 million previously designated for electric vehicle charging stations under the Biden Administration. The funds — which were never spent — will instead support upgrades to health care facilities, including $21.3 million for the Providence VA Medical Center’s MRI ward and $13.8 million for the radiation oncology unit in Jackson, Mississippi.
“In Joe Biden’s VA, the department was distracted by woke social-justice programs and green-energy boondoggles,” Collins said. “Those days are long gone.”
The agency also extended key protections for family caregivers, announcing a three-year continuation of current eligibility rules under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Legacy participants and applicants will maintain their stipend levels through at least September 2028.
Finally, the VA said it will forgive more than $272 million in potential medical debt for Veterans affected by a Biden-era halt in copayment processing for community care services. The technical lapse caused Veterans to unknowingly accrue millions in unpaid bills beginning in early 2023. The VA will resume proper billing moving forward but will erase the accumulated debt.
“Taking these steps will prevent Veterans from being blindsided with mountains of medical debt,” Collins said.
The VA encouraged affected Veterans to seek discharge upgrades, reapply for benefits, and use agency hotlines and online resources for guidance on housing, education, caregiver support, and medical billing.
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