A Veterans Service Officer (VSO) is an accredited representative who helps veterans prepare, file, and support disability compensation and other VA benefit claims. VSOs can work for county or state veterans affairs offices, or for national organizations such as the DAV, VFW, American Legion, or Wounded Warrior Project. Because accreditation standards focus on legal authority to represent you before the VA, not on customer-service quality, the level of hands-on help you get can vary a lot from one representative to another.
At minimum, a competent VSO should help you identify which conditions to claim, explain the evidence needed to support service connection (an in-service event, a current diagnosis, and a medical nexus linking the two), help you understand secondary conditions that may qualify, review your claim file or C-file if needed, and explain what a Decision Review Officer (DRO) review, Higher-Level Review, or Board appeal involves if you get a denial you disagree with. A good VSO should also discuss strategy — such as whether to file all at once or in stages, whether an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) makes sense to lock in an effective date, and how to respond to VA requests like Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam notices. Simply relaying "send me your evidence" without explaining what evidence is useful, what conditions might be missed, or what the overall process looks like falls short of what most veterans expect from a VSO, though it is not uncommon given heavy caseloads.
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 →If you are unsatisfied with your current VSO, you are not required to keep using them. You can revoke their power of attorney at any time by submitting VA Form 21-22 (for an organization) or 21-22a (for an individual representative) naming a new VSO, or naming none if you want to file on your own. Many veterans shop around by contacting a different county VSO, a state department of veterans affairs office, or a national service organization directly, and asking upfront how they typically communicate with clients and how involved they get in evidence-gathering. Accredited attorneys and claims agents are another option, particularly for appeals, though they may charge fees only on past-due benefits won.
As a next step, contact your state department of veterans affairs or a national service organization such as the DAV or VFW to ask about switching representation, and file VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a once you choose a new VSO.
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