Yes. Having a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) as your accredited representative does not prevent you from acting on your own behalf, and it does not stop you from filing paperwork yourself. A VSO holds power of attorney (POA) via VA Form 21-22, but that arrangement can be changed or revoked at any time. You can submit a new VA Form 21-22 naming a different VSO or attorney/agent, or you can file VA Form 21-22a to appoint an individual representative, or you can revoke representation entirely and proceed unrepresented. None of these choices void or reset a claim that is already pending.
For the specific issue you describe, if you have denied issues and want to add new evidence, the correct vehicle is a Supplemental Claim, filed on VA Form 20-0995, under 38 CFR 3.2501. This requires "new and relevant" evidence not previously considered. You are allowed to file this yourself even if a VSO is technically still on record, though it is good practice to communicate the change so there is no confusion about who is submitting evidence or receiving correspondence from the VA.
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 →A separate, unrelated condition that was never part of the prior decision should go in as its own original claim (VA Form 21-526EZ), not a supplemental claim, since supplemental claims are tied to a specific previously denied issue.
On the missed Compensation & Pension exam: under 38 CFR 3.655, failure to report to a scheduled exam without good cause can result in a claim being denied or rated on the evidence of record. If good cause exists — such as the exam being scheduled at a facility outside your area with no reasonable way to attend or reschedule — submitting a written statement explaining this, along with a request to reschedule, is the standard remedy. If that was already filed and no response has come, following up is worthwhile since these situations do not resolve themselves.
A Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request is separate from a claim itself; it simply retrieves your claims file (C-file) and does not advance a supplemental claim or appeal.
As a concrete next step, check the status of everything currently pending in your VA.gov account, then contact your VSO directly to clarify whether the supplemental claim and the missed-exam statement were actually submitted before deciding whether to file anything yourself.
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