VA Secretary Douglas A. Collins posted on X on Thursday that the agency will not enforce the rule but will continue to collect public comments.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is halting enforcement of a new rule for determining disability payments after veterans across the US expressed outrage for what they said would likely reduce benefits for many.

Veterans groups said the rule is an “abrupt shift” and was “issued in a closed and unnecessarily expedited process.”

VA Secretary Doug Collins said the agency looks to avoid what many perceived as “adverse consequences.”

VA is proposing major changes to disability ratings for sleep apnea, tinnitus, and mental health, shifting away from device based formulas and toward functional impairment.