VA Shelves Mass Layoffs — But 30,000 Jobs Still Set to Go
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently dropped plans to eliminate 83,000 jobs through involuntary layoffs — a move veterans and employee groups widely welcomed.
However, as of August 1, VA confirmed up to 30,000 roles will still disappear through attrition, which means continued concern for disabled veterans who rely on those services daily.
From Mass Layoffs to Attrition: What Changed
Originally, VA leadership intended to cut roughly 15% of its workforce (about 83,000 positions) to revert to fiscal 2019 staffing levels. This triggered public outcry from veteran advocates and lawmakers alike, prompting a reversal. Instead, VA now plans to reduce the workforce through voluntary retirements, resignations, and attrition by late September. (MilitaryTimes)
Why This Still Matters for Disabled Veterans
- Claim and Benefit Delays: With fewer staff to process claims, monthly disability decisions — even CRSC or toxic exposure approvals—could slow significantly.
- Rural and Specialty Care Risks: Regional offices and VA specialty clinics may struggle to hire replacements in a tight labor market, reducing consistency.
- Systemic Strain: Remaining staff face greater workloads, increasing burnout and potentially impacting quality of care and responsiveness.
Voices on the Fallout …
“VA backed off the worst scenario, but veterans still stand to lose access and consistency.” ~ AFGE representative responding to the staffing change (AFGE)
Even Secretary Doug Collins acknowledged the threat:
“We scaled back the plan, but are still expecting the attrition-based loss of 30,000 positions while maintaining service standards.” ~ VA press briefing, Aug 2025
What Disabled Veterans Should Do …
- Track your local VA office wait times on appointments or claims.
- Report slowdowns to your Veterans Service Officer (VSO) — voice from the ground matters.
- Keep all documentation of denied, delayed, or lost services — you may need it to escalate issues.
- Engage with Congressional aides or regional VSOs if delays become chronic in specific offices.
Final Thoughts …
The decision to end involuntary layoffs is welcome — but a forced reduction of 30,000 staff is still a major cut. Whether through attrition or otherwise, fewer positions mean more strain on the system.
VA staff shortages affect care coordination, benefits access, and mental health services — all vital areas for disabled veterans. As staffing shrinks, those served must be watchful, vocal, and prepared to demand quality — not just adequacy.
Veterans didn’t fight to be short-changed. Let’s make sure the promise of the VA stands strong — staffed, responsive, and veteran-centered.
🔗 Related Articles on DisabledVeterans.org
For deeper insights into the ongoing VA staffing controversy and reforms, check out these posts from DisabledVeterans.org:
- A Reckoning at VA: Do Job Cuts Threaten Progress or Restore Balance? — Explores the full scope and risk of proposed 80,000 staff reductions.
- Congress Moves to Block VA Cuts Amid ‘War on Vets’ Accusations — How lawmakers are pushing back on VA cuts that they say undermine veteran care.
- Senate Hearing Could Decide the Future of Your VA Benefits — Coverage of a Senate oversight hearing on the impact of staffing and benefit reforms.
- VA Halts Major Contract Cuts Amid Backlash Over Potential Service Disruptions — Examines how reduced contracts affecting veteran care services were quickly paused after public backlash.
For decades veterans have had to move if they had problems with a facility, denial of care, abuse, long drives etc. Since the courts won’t perform their function in our democracy, I hope Orange Hitler takes a wrecking ball to the goddamn place… but he won’t!!!
In 2018, they had the usual medical students up in there running the guinea pig farm, the psych ward, but also had trolls with no medical degree in there whose job was apparently just to assassinate people’s character on record. I didn’t see these people do anything else but break balls and enter bad things into people’s records. The VHA is an embarrassment to the USA and I hope they fire 100,000 people.
Veterans Healthcare Administration is shit. Pat yourselves on the back for supporting the worst healthcare system in the democratic world over your dislike of Trump and his bad policies. At least with insurance you get a denial letter. At VHA you get unethical games and rug sweeping. All this chicanery and lawless behavior is protected by the courts, unlimited legal resources, and immunity.
VHA will turn you into a fully degraded piece of meat that exists to put food on some pseudo intellectual lazy asses table. Run you around in endless circles instead of authorization of medically necessary procedures. That’s fraud, malpractice, and lawlessness. Our political system is broken. Need armed insurrection.
All they need is a couple individuals approving care in the community, and for denials to go straight to a judge immediately. If it’s medically necessary, they shouldn’t be able to defy the law. They can give UBI and business loans to veterans. We don’t need some failed healthcare system putting on a trillion dollar theatre performance. People have died!!
Make it 300K sent to do highway construction or other infrastructure project, but not healthcare. It’s a disaster that spans decades. The ones with actual medical degrees can just find an office somewhere and we will visit whoever we choose. Use the freed up funds for healthcare instead.