Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., makes remarks during a Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee hearing in Washington on Dec. 11, 2024. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — A historically underutilized veterans employment program with a track record of helping participants with disabilities land good paying jobs is experiencing a surge in applicants that is creating backlogs, draining resources and delaying benefits.

Veterans organizations with members who participate in the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs delivered that message at a hearing Wednesday of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s subpanel on economic opportunity.

The hearing examined challenges at the 10-year-old program as it experiences a surge in demand for assistance with job counselors. The program is for veterans with disabilities that are severe enough to restrict or keep them from working.

More than 192,000 disabled veterans applied to the program in 2024, up from 131,000 in 2023. In 2025, officials project another 15% increase in applicants.

Julie Howell of Paralyzed Veterans of America testifies on Dec. 11, 2024, during a subpanel hearing of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs about a disabled veterans job program. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

“Veterans Readiness and Employment is a transformational program that Congress must act to protect,” said Julie Howell, associate legislative director of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “Barriers to employment still exist, which is why the VR&E program is so important.”

The program delivered $2.1 billion in education, job training and other benefits in fiscal 2024. The median annual income of veterans who secure employment after completing the program is $100,000, according to program officials.

Howell said while the program has successfully assisted millions of disabled veterans in the past decade, its popularity is hampering the staff’s ability to provide guidance and individualized assistance.

Located at 350 VA sites across the nation, the program has vocational rehabilitation specialists and job counselors who work with disabled veterans seeking employment. Disabled veterans receive help preparing for careers that they can perform with their disability. They are qualified for career counseling, job training, education assistance and other services, after an initial evaluation to assess their skills, interests and capabilities.

But more than 65% of regional VA offices have wait times of more than a month for an initial appointment, said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., the subcommittee chairman.

Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL, identified himself as “perhaps the only member of Congress to have gone through the program.”

“I know this program inside and out. I believe the Veterans Readiness and Employment program is headed in the wrong direction,” he said.

Van Orden said he is concerned the program’s services are diminished without the VA implementing meaningful solutions to adapt to higher participation rates.

Lawmakers and veterans groups cited backlogged applications, staff shortages and failure by counselors to respond to critical communications from colleges, job training programs and student veterans.

“What should I tell my veterans who are ready to give up because they cannot get an initial appointment?” said Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif.

At the regional program office in San Diego, disabled veterans wait up to 18 months for their first appointment, he said.

Counselors have begun to omit their phone numbers on emails making it difficult for college business offices and training programs to reach them, said Keith Glindemann, president of the National Association of Veterans’ Programs Administrators, which works with colleges and universities on the approval and delivery of VA benefits.

“When schools cannot obtain the necessary authorization, this delays the certification of benefits,” he said.

Glindemann said he has received reports from some students who say they have not heard from their counselors for months. Contributing to the problems is a turnover in program staff, he said.

“Lack of communication and constant change adds stress and delay of benefits to disabled veterans who are working toward obtaining employment,” Glindemann said.

Kenneth Smith, left, and Nick Pamperin, officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs, are sworn in during a subpanel hearing of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Dec. 11, 2024. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

The program has become strained under the influx of veterans qualifying for services under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, said Nick Pamperin, the VA’s program director. The PACT Act compensates veterans for illnesses and injuries caused by toxic fumes from burn pits, radiation and contact with other hazardous substances during military service.

Staffing at the Veterans Readiness and Employment program has increased by 25% in two years, but job counselors continue to struggle to keep up with demand for services, Pamperin said.

“While expansion has helped with the response to program growth, there continues to be a need for significant resources,” he said.

Pamperin said the program is now automating services previously done manually and moving them online. But Howell said the VA’s approach to modernizing job readiness changes with each administration.

“These piecemeal solutions will continue to be problematic until designing and implementing a single, fully integrated system is made a priority,” he said.

But Pamperin said the VA recently introduced a virtual assistant that processes signed documents in two days instead of the previous average of 10 days.

After some initial setbacks, the VA is now piloting an online case management system that tracks benefits and points veterans to job training and education resources, he said.

“I know that VA states they are finally on the right path with the new case management system. However, I am skeptical as this undertaking will now span the terms of four administrations,” Van Orden said.

Pamperin said making improvements with a focus on people, technology and processes will help improve services and drive the wait times down.

“We absolutely need to get better,” he said.