⚠️ Accredited representatives and VSOs — free help with a VA claim

What this actually is

VA states it plainly: "the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your VA benefit claims are always free." Accredited attorneys and claims agents, by contrast, CAN charge fees. That is the fork in the road. A large industry has grown up charging veterans a percentage of their back pay — often several months of it — for filing a claim a VSO would have filed for nothing, and VA’s own guidance cautions claimants to "exercise caution when selecting a representative." Before you sign anything, check the person in VA’s Accreditation and Recognition Search. If they are not in it, they may not lawfully represent you before VA at all.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

Any veteran or claimant can appoint an accredited VSO representative at no cost; the major veterans organisations and many state and county veterans service offices employ them. Accreditation is required for the sole purpose of representing claimants before VA, and fee agreements must be filed with VA. Practical test before signing: "Are you VA-accredited, what is your accreditation number, and is your fee agreement on file with VA?"