March 21 (UPI) — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that it is providing disability compensation to a record number of women veterans.
According to the VA, 180,969 women currently receive benefits and they receive an average of $26,809 per year.
“Women veterans are the fastest growing cohort at VA, and — in addition to delivering record levels of disability compensation benefits — VA is now serving more women veterans in its health care system than ever before,” the VA said in a press release Thursday.
The VA says the 2022 PACT Act is responsible in part for the increase in benefits for women veterans.
The VA also says that women’s benefits have been expanded over the past two years to include in vitro fertilization, breast cancer screenings, abortion care in some cases, and maternity care.
“These record numbers demonstrate that we’ve made tremendous progress in recent years, but they are still just the beginning,” said Tanya Bradsher, deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the need for Veterans care in his State of the Union Address.
