Inspection of VA Regional Office Wilmington, DE

The Benefits Inspection Program conducts on-site inspections at VA Regional Offices to review disability compensation claims processing and Veterans Service Center operations. The Wilmington Regional Office management team met the requirements for processing benefit claims involving traumatic brain injury. The office also met all requirements in the areas of systematic analysis of operations (SAOs), correcting Systematic Technical Accuracy Review (STAR) errors, date stamp accountability, implementation of the Claims Process Improvement model, handling claims-related mail, and responding to electronic inquiries. The Regional Office management team needs to provide additional management attention in processing claims identified as Haas cases, post-traumatic stress disorder, and diabetes. The management team also needs to improve controls over the following areas: Safeguarding veteran’s personally identifiable information (PII), responding to congressional inquiries, processing fiduciary activities, tracking veteran’s claims in Control of Veterans Records System (COVERS), and establishing the correct dates of claim. We recommended that the VARO provide refresher training on claims-processing and improve management oversight and controls over operations. The Director of the Wilmington Regional Office concurred with all recommendations but offered qualifications and commentary on some issues. We have responded to each of management’s assertions in the report. Management’s planned actions are responsive and we will follow-up as required on all actions.