Women Veterans are receiving more disability benefits than ever before, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday.

The fastest growing group of veterans, more than 702,000 women who served in the Armed Forces are receiving some sort of disability compensation — a 26% increase compared with five years ago.

What You Need To Know

  • A record 702,557 women Veterans are receiving disability compensation benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs

  • About 16.5% of Veterans are women

  • The average annual disability compensation for women Veterans is $26,809

  • The VA is holding outreach events at its regional offices to inform women of the benefits available to them

“Women Veterans have fought in every war since the American Revolution, but they have not always been able to access the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserved,” Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tanya Bradsher said in a statement. “But now, at VA, we’re making sure that those days are over.”

The average female veteran receives $26,809 annually in earned disability compensation benefits each year. The VA said 89% of women who apply for disability benefits through the agency receive benefits for at least one condition.

The increase is driven by the PACT Act President Biden signed in August 2022, providing $797 billion to improve healthcare access for veterans who were exposed to toxins and hazards during their service. VA Under Secretary for Benefits, Josh Jacobs, said the funding had allowed the VA to increase the claims it processed last year by 40%. So far this year, the agency is 35% ahead of where it was at the same time in 2023.

As part of Women’s History Month, and throughout the year, the VA’s regional offices are hosting outreach events for women to make them aware of the benefits that are available to them. The VA said its primary care for women includes preventative cancer screenings and specialty services, such as orthopedics and cardiovascular appointments.

Gynecologists are available at 82% of VA facilities and are being expanded. Mammograms are available at 70 VA facilities nationally. While the VA covers about 7,000 births each year, pregnancy care, including prenatal, labor and delivery, are provided at healthcare facilities outside the VA system.

Women have been able to serve in the U.S. military since 1948. In 2021, women made up 17.3% of the active-duty force, according to the Department of Defense. They make up 16.5% of the Veteran population.