Federal law strictly limits who can charge veterans for help with VA claims and when. Under 38 U.S.C. § 5904 and its implementing regulations, only VA-accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) are legally allowed to represent veterans before the VA, and even accredited representatives generally cannot charge a fee for helping prepare or file an initial claim. Fees are only permitted after a Notice of Disagreement has been filed on a claim, and even then, the fee arrangement typically must be reviewed for reasonableness. Companies that charge veterans upfront fees to "help" file a first-time claim, especially non-accredited consulting or coaching businesses, are operating in a legal gray area or outright violating VA accreditation rules, regardless of what their marketing claims.
You can verify whether an individual or organization is VA-accredited using the VA's Office of General Counsel accreditation search tool on va.gov. If a company was never accredited and charged you money for claims assistance, that is a strong indicator of a problem, and you may have grounds for both a consumer complaint and potential state Attorney General action, as well as a report to the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG).
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 →To pursue getting money back, veterans typically need to file complaints through multiple channels: the state Attorney General's office in the state where the company operated (state AGs can pursue restitution and injunctions under state consumer protection laws), the Federal Trade Commission, and the VA OIG hotline for accreditation violations. If the company is under active state investigation or litigation, there may be a formal claims process for affected consumers to recover funds, which is usually announced through the Attorney General's office rather than through the VA.
Separately, it is worth confirming that any actual VA disability claim you filed through such a company was submitted correctly and is being tracked. You can check claim status directly on va.gov or through a free, accredited VSO, and file supplemental claims (VA Form 20-0995) or Higher-Level Reviews (VA Form 20-0996) if something was mishandled.
The concrete next step is to check the accreditation status of anyone you paid for help, report the company to your state Attorney General's consumer protection division and the VA OIG, and switch to a free VA-accredited service organization for ongoing help with your claim.
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