Companies that assist veterans with VA disability claims for a fee generally fall into a few categories: VA-accredited attorneys, accredited claims agents, and accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives. Only attorneys and accredited claims agents are legally permitted to charge fees for help with a claim, and only under specific conditions set out in 38 CFR 14.636. Fees are supposed to be tied to representation on a specific claim, generally after a decision has already been made on that claim, and the fee arrangement must be disclosed to VA using a fee agreement. VSOs, by contrast, are prohibited from charging any fee at all for help filing or developing a claim.
Whether a company can charge you simply because your monthly payment went up — even if that company did not file anything or make any argument that led to the increase — is a serious legal and ethical question, not a settled point of routine VA practice. A legitimate fee agreement should specify what work is being paid for and should be tied to the outcome of a specific claim that the representative actually worked on, not to any general rise in your VA compensation that might result from a routine reevaluation, cost-of-living adjustment, or a claim you filed on your own or through someone else entirely.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Veterans always have the right to revoke a power of attorney or fee agreement with a representative at any time. This is done by submitting a new VA Form 21-22 (for a VSO) or VA Form 21-22a (for an individual representative, including attorneys and claims agents) naming a new representative, or by submitting a written revocation directly to VA. Revoking authorization stops that company from being able to access your claims file or represent you going forward, though it does not automatically resolve a billing dispute over past charges.
If you believe a company is charging fees that are not tied to legitimate, VA-recognized representation, or is misusing your personal information such as your Social Security number to check your benefit status without proper authorization, you can file a complaint with the VA Office of General Counsel, which oversees accreditation of claims agents and attorneys, and you can also report the conduct to your state attorney general's consumer protection division.
If you are currently under a fee agreement with a company like this, request a copy of the signed agreement, review exactly what work it authorizes and how fees are calculated, and consider revoking representation using VA Form 21-22a if the arrangement does not match what you agreed to.
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