The Department of Veterans Affairs announced this week that veterans' trust in the VA has reached its highest level on record.
This marked a significant milestone for an agency that serves millions of veterans nationwide through health care, disability benefits, education programs, and home loan guarantees.
According to new survey results released by the VA, 82 percent of veterans who used VA services in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 said they trust the department to fulfill the nation's commitment to them, the highest level recorded since the agency began tracking trust nearly a decade ago.
Trust is a key indicator of whether veterans are actually accessing and using the benefits they have earned.
VA data shows that as trust has risen, more veterans are enrolling in VA health care and relying on the agency for disability compensation, education benefits, and housing assistance, suggesting that confidence in the system directly affects participation.
For years, the VA has faced mounting scrutiny over veteran suicides on its facilities' grounds, which have often been seen as acts of protest against lapses in mental health care.
A Washington Post investigation revealed that between October 2017 and November 2018, at least 19 suicides occurred on VA campuses, seven in parking lots. Among the most widely reported cases were former Army Sergeant John Toombs, who died by hanging in 2016 outside a VA medical center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after being expelled from a treatment program, and Marine Corps veteran Justin Miller, who shot himself in the parking lot of the Minneapolis VA in February 2018, four days after discharge from its mental health unit.
Retired Marine Colonel Jim Turner also killed himself at the Bay Pines VA in Florida in December 2018, leaving a note that read, "I bet if you look at the 22 suicides a day you will see VA screwed up in 90 percent."
In 2025, two separate suicides occurred at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital in San Antonio despite years of congressional hearings, funding boosts, and initiatives claiming to prioritize veteran mental health care.
Veteran suicide rates remain about 1.5 times higher than the general U.S. population. Still, the new survey data indicate that trust is increasing in the larger VA system.
Trust in VA outpatient health care also reached a new high, with 93.6 percent of veterans reporting confidence in VA for their health care needs, continuing a steady upward trend seen in recent years.
"Veterans First isn't a slogan, it's a promise -- and it starts with listening," said VA Secretary Doug Collins in a statement.
The latest figures represent a sharp improvement from earlier survey results and highlight a long-term rise in veteran confidence.
When the VA first began measuring trust in 2016, just 55 percent of veterans reported trusting the agency, according to historical VA survey data. By early 2024, that figure had climbed to 80.4 percent, an increase of more than 25 percentage points over eight years.
Trust in outpatient care has followed a similar trajectory. VA data shows trust in outpatient health services rose from 85.6 percent in 2018 to 91.8 percent in 2024, before reaching its current record level in 2026.
The VA's quarterly Veteran Trust Survey, part of the agency's Veteran Signals (VSignals) program, asks veterans about their experiences across a wide range of services, including medical care, disability compensation, education benefits, burial services, and home loans.
In the most recent quarter, 77.3 percent of veterans said it was easy to get the care or services they needed, 81.4 percent said they received what they needed, and 79.5 percent said they felt like valued customers. These were all record highs for those measures.
The VA has expanded the use of digital surveys sent shortly after veterans interact with the agency, collecting millions of responses and free‑text comments since 2016.
VA leadership also pointed to broader reforms aimed at simplifying access to care and benefits, including expanded health care eligibility tied to recent legislation and increased use of telehealth and contact centers to reduce wait times and administrative barriers.
"Trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be improving, and that doesn't happen by accident," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "When you see a 9 percent increase in the 2027 budget, it's not just about dollars; it's a signal. It suggests that veterans' voices are being heard and that their concerns are finally making their way into policy and funding decisions."
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 alone, the department said more than 4.8 million veterans received VA health care, accounting for over 29 million clinical encounters.
Meanwhile, VA contact centers answered 14.5 million calls; nearly 750,000 disability and pension claims; over one million education-related claims were processed.
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "For quite some time, the narrative around Veteran Affairs has been negative, but with rising trust and increased funding, the system appears to be moving in a better direction. More funding helps, but the real question is the intent and execution behind it... The goal is simple: fewer veterans struggling to access care; fewer standing on street corners asking for help because they deserve far more than that."
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "The most recently released feedback does point to more positive developments in servicing veterans that could be linked to a government-wide initiative to make customer service more online-based and efficient. Over the last year, many agencies have leaned into updating customer service by automating responses for more common questions and concerns on their virtual platforms. At the same point, some metrics speak more to the volume of messages the VA receives more than actual quality; with most polling such as this obviously doesn't include all veterans."
The VA said it will continue publishing trust data quarterly and using veteran feedback to guide future changes, with the long‑term goal of further improving veterans' access and experience across all VA services.
"The positive feedback received from those polled signals that some updates made are for the better," Beene said.