Veteran trust in VA continues strong above 80%
The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that veteran trust in the agency remained above 80 percent for the fourth consecutive quarter, marking the longest sustained period above that threshold in the history of VA's trust reporting. In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, 80.4 percent of veterans said they trust VA to fulfill the nation's commitment to veterans, based on responses from approximately 33,000 veterans who participated in the quarterly Veterans Signals survey.
The Veterans Signals survey is VA's primary tool for measuring how veterans perceive the department across all its major service areas, including health care, disability benefits, memorial services, and other interactions with the agency. The survey tracks four key dimensions: whether veterans trust VA, whether they find it easy to access services, whether VA effectively delivers what they need, and whether veterans feel valued as customers. This comprehensive approach gives VA leadership a broad view of veteran satisfaction and helps identify both strengths and problem areas across the entire department.
The latest survey results show that 75.6 percent of veterans found it easy to get the care or service they needed, 79.6 percent said they received what they needed, and 77.8 percent felt like valued customers. These metrics apply to all veterans who interact with VA regardless of disability rating, though the survey data showed some variation by age group. Veterans ages 50 to 59 and those 60 and older showed the most stable trust levels from quarter to quarter, while veterans ages 40 to 49 experienced the largest change in trust scores, though the article does not specify whether that change was positive or negative.
Beyond the quarterly VA-wide survey, the department also uses 181 targeted surveys to measure veteran experiences after specific interactions with individual programs and services. In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, veterans provided more than 3.5 million survey responses and 600,000 written comments through these service-level surveys. VA specifically noted that disability compensation was among the service areas requiring additional attention, meaning veterans filing or managing disability claims may be experiencing challenges that the department has flagged for improvement efforts.
For disabled veterans, these trust metrics matter because they reflect the experiences of fellow veterans navigating the same systems you depend on for health care, compensation, and other benefits. While an 80 percent trust rating suggests most veterans have positive experiences overall, the fact that VA is publicly acknowledging problems in disability compensation indicates the department is aware that claims processing, appeals, and related services need work. The written feedback veterans provide through these surveys directly influences how VA allocates resources and prioritizes improvements.
If you have recently interacted with VA for any reason, watch for Veterans Signals survey invitations and take the time to respond honestly. Your feedback, whether positive or critical, becomes part of the data VA leadership uses to identify problems and measure whether changes are actually improving veteran experiences. If you are currently experiencing difficulties with disability compensation or any other VA service, document your concerns and consider reaching out to a veterans service organization for assistance while VA works to address the systemic issues these surveys have revealed.