WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden has announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has granted its one-millionth PACT Act related disability compensation claim Tuesday.
Biden called it a major milestone.
He made the announcement while delivering remarks at Westwood Park YMCA in Nashua, New Hampshire.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is providing $5.7 billion in benefits to veterans and their families.
More than 888,000 veterans and survivors across all 50 states and U.S. territories are now receiving new service-connected disability benefits, according to the White House.
VA said the grant rate for these claims is 75 percent, a sharp increase from pre-PACT levels.
The PACT Act expanded VA health care and benefits to millions of Veterans, including adding 'presumptive' service connection for hundreds of conditions linked to burn pits, agent orange, and other hazards while they were on active duty.
'Thanks to President Biden, the Veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other hazards while serving our country are now being taken care of for the conditions that followed them home from war,' said VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
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