Getting Help With Your VA Claim — Free and Accredited Options

Your help options

There’s good help out there — free and paid:

Free — Veterans Service Officers. Accredited VSOs (DAV, VFW, American Legion, your county/state office) prepare, file, and appeal at no cost. A great first stop for most claims.

Paid — accredited attorneys & claims agents. A legitimate, often valuable choice — especially for appeals and back pay. They charge regulated fees (commonly a capped percentage of past-due benefits) and only after an initial decision.

The VA itself decides your claim and can answer questions directly.

Hiring someone? Confirm these

Check what you’ve confirmed about a paid helper:

They are VA-accredited (verified in the VA’s accreditation search) Any fee is in writing and clearly explained They are not charging me to file an initial claim The fee is for appeal work, as a regulated percentage of back pay

A few things genuinely should give you pause — a fee to file an initial claim, a guaranteed rating, a claim on your future monthly checks, being told not to use a VSO, requests for your logins, or pressure to sign now. When in doubt, verify accreditation first.

Choosing help

Confirm the basics →

Free help and good paid help both exist — the goal is simply to choose well.

Free, accredited help

Crisis support · 24/7
Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then Press 1 · Text 838255
Veterans Service Officers (free)
NACVSO.org · DAV.org · VFW.org · Legion.org · PVA.org — file & appeal at no cost
VA benefits & facilities
1-800-827-1000 · MyVA411: 1-800-698-2411 · VA.gov/find-locations

Paid, accredited help (a legitimate option)

Find or verify an accredited attorney / agent
VA.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation — accredited attorneys and claims agents can charge regulated fees for appeals (often a capped % of back pay) and are frequently well worth it.

Get free, accredited help — start here

You should never pay anyone simply to file an initial claim. A free, VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (DAV, VFW, American Legion, or your county/state office) can prepare, file, and appeal for you at no cost. Verify any representative at VA.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation and find a county service officer through NACVSO.org.

Go deeper with the Playbook.

This free tool is a taste. The VA Disability Playbook walks the whole claim — service connection, the C&P exam, the rating math, appeals, TDIU and SMC, survivors, and where to get honest help. Get the free Start-Here primer and a launch notice.

If you are in crisis, you are not alone. The Veterans Crisis Line is free, confidential, and available 24/7 — dial 988, then Press 1 (or text 838255). This tool is educational only — not legal advice, not VA-accredited representation, and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA rules, ratings, dollar amounts, and deadlines change and depend on your circumstances; confirm everything with the VA or an accredited representative before you act.