Claims can enter the VA system without a veteran personally submitting paperwork for several legitimate reasons, so the first step is figuring out which one applies before assuming something is wrong. The most common explanation is that an accredited representative, such as a Veterans Service Organization (VSO), a VA-accredited attorney, or a claims agent, has a Power of Attorney (VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a) on file and initiated or updated a claim on the veteran's behalf. Another possibility is that a prior claim automatically generated a follow-up action, such as a routine future exam, a Compensation and Pension (C&P) reevaluation, or an increase review tied to an existing rating. Sometimes a claim is opened through an Intake Site or a Fully Developed Claims process after documents were uploaded by a third party who had authorization.
To confirm what happened, log into VA.gov and check the claim status page, which lists the claim type, the date it was filed, and any representative associated with it. The 'Files' and 'Details' tabs often show who submitted supporting evidence. Next, call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and ask a representative to identify the exact claim type, the filing date, the method of submission, and whether a Power of Attorney is listed. If a VSO or attorney appears as the representative and the veteran did not authorize that relationship, this should be reported immediately, since it can indicate identity misuse or an outdated authorization that was never revoked.
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 can also request a copy of their complete claims file, known as the C-file, through VA Form 20-10206 or by submitting a request through VA.gov, which will show every document, exam request, and correspondence tied to the claim, including who submitted what and when. If an unauthorized party is found to have filed a claim or accessed personal information, this should be reported to the VA Office of Inspector General and, if the representative was a VSO or attorney, to the Office of General Counsel's Accreditation section, since accredited representatives are bound by strict rules about authorization.
The concrete next step is to call the VA directly, get the claim's filing details and any listed representative in writing, and request the C-file to verify exactly how and by whom the claim was opened.
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