4 Fast Facts on the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Changes that Harm Servicemembers at Home and at War

4 Fast Facts on the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Changes that Harm Servicemembers at Home and at War

• May 21, 2026
• 3:20 pm

Ahead of Memorial Day, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) released facts about how the Trump Administration's Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is cutting veteran services even as the nation engages in military conflicts abroad.

"Whether the conflict in Iran ends tomorrow or years from now, the servicemembers that defend our nation should feel confident that the VA is ready to support their needs when they return," said Ryan Foley, director of NYLAG's Veterans Practice. "People sign up for active duty, in part, because of the access and benefits the VA provides, and in turn, the VA should guarantee sufficient staffing at healthcare facilities, access to earned disability benefits, and protections of veterans' rights. Actions that sow distrust in the VA will immediately hurt current veterans who rely on the VA for life-saving care and critical benefits, create a cascade of long-term consequences for servicemembers who will need services in the future, and adversely impact the civilian population who rely on this epicenter of medical and scientific research and training."

Since late February, the U.S. conflict in Iran has wounded approximately 405 military servicemembers, and 13 died, the Pentagon reports. The U.S. military has deployed thousands of Marines to the Middle East, and the Trump administration is considering additional action that could place American servicemembers in danger. Less than five years from the end of the decades-long Afghanistan War and at a critical tipping point for this current conflict, the VA is creating roadblocks to care for former servicemembers at home.

The VA's mission is to provide health, education, disability, funeral, and financial benefits to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, which requires constantly evolving programs to address the unique and changing needs of the veteran population. However, recent actions by the VA, budget cuts and attempted budget cuts on the veteran community concern advocates.

Ryan Foley, director of New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)'s Veterans Law Practice, is available for media interviews. Please contact [email protected] to arrange.

4 Fast Facts on Recent VA Actions

1. Currently the VA chose not to hire replacements for over 14,000 unfilled VA medical positions.
   According to The New York Times, the VA chose not to fill around 5% of the VA's total medical staff. Despite claims that the eliminated positions were long vacant, internal records found that about 73% of the roles that the VA removed were filled since 2025. At the same time, the VA lost a significant number of mental health providers. ProPublica found that around 500 psychologists and psychiatrists left the VA in 2025, representing 4% of total psychologists and 6% of total psychiatrists. The VA touted the creation of 33 new health care clinics and a 4% increase in VA mental health care appointments, however, by the VA's own admissions, wait times are not meeting expectations or standards and continuous proposals to shift veterans into community care could impede timely access to critical medical care.
   
   
2. Potential VA's medication rule could reduce disability benefits for tens of thousands of veterans.
   While the first attempt to push a new rule through outside the federal Administrative Procedures Act (APA) failed, the VA is proposing a regulatory amendment that would significantly change how the VA considers positive effects of medication on disabilities and how VA patients would access benefits. By the VA's own analysis, this rule could impact more than 350,000 pending claims, meaning the VA would reduce the benefits of tens of thousands of veterans. Not only would this proposed rule alter longstanding judicial protections, but the rule could also threaten the disability benefits for those seeking comprehensive treatment for a full range of disabilities.
   
   
3. At-risk or already homeless veterans may avoid VA care if stripped of legal rights under new guardianship proceedings.
   The Justice Department announced an agreement with the VA that gives the VA the authority to initiate guardianship proceedings for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. Guardianships are consequential legal actions that result in removing an individual's legal rights and should only be considered in the most severe situations when no other options are available. A recent report from the VA's Office of Inspector General found that the VA lacked sufficient controls to ensure oversights of the VA's fiduciary program, which is designed to help incompetent veterans access their financial benefits. As announced, this guardianship agreement may discourage veterans dealing with housing instability from seeking care at VA healthcare facilities for fear of losing their autonomy.
   
   
4. Attorneys (pro bono or paid) are a powerful resource for veterans seeking benefits; in 2025, NYLAG alone served over 1,200 veterans and recovered $700,000 in benefits at no charge to veterans.
   Many veterans benefit from legal expertise, and veterans should have the ability to have access to free legal assistance or hire private attorneys to assist with their complex appeals. Recently the VA announced they will begin posting the amount of attorneys' fees paid out each month for successful disability claims, which denigrates accredited attorneys who charge fees by highlighting the total fees paid out that veterans will not receive, discouraging veterans from utilizing this resource. While attacking accredited attorneys, the VA is not doing enough to stop "claim sharks," unaccredited and largely unregulated companies that charge illegal fees and are prohibited by federal law. While the VA voiced concerns about bad actors taking advantage of veterans, its latest action attacks lawyers aiming to help veterans receive benefits through the legal system, rather than regulating claim sharks who skirt the law.

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