VA Accredited Claims Agent: Fees, Appointment, and Verification

A VA accredited claims agent is a federally authorized non-attorney who can represent you through the VA benefits claims and appeals process, from a supplemental claim after a denial all the way to a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge. Agents pass a VA exam and clear a character investigation instead of holding a law license, and federal law limits paid representation before the VA to accredited agents, accredited attorneys, and recognized Veterans Service Organization representatives.¹ Anyone else who charges you for claims help is operating outside the law.

What a Claims Agent Does For You

Once you sign a power of attorney appointing an agent, they gain read-only access to the Veterans Benefits Management System, which holds your electronic claims folder with all your medical and service records.² That access is where a lot of the value sits. The agent can see the same file the rater sees and spot weaknesses before the VA does.

From there, the work is evidentiary and procedural. The agent reviews your records, identifies gaps that would lead to another denial, and coordinates outside evidence such as independent medical opinions or nexus letters that connect a current disability to your service. They draft and file whatever the next step is: a higher-level review, a supplemental claim with new evidence, or a Board appeal. At hearings, they argue the case. Small procedural mistakes can stall a claim for months, and knowing the regulations is the point of hiring someone.

Agent, Attorney, or VSO Representative

You have three types of accredited representatives to choose from, and the right one depends on your case.³

VSO representatives work for nonprofits like the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans. Their services are always free. They handle high volumes of claims and are a reasonable first stop, especially for straightforward filings, though individual caseloads can be heavy.
Accredited claims agents are independent practitioners who passed the VA exam but are not attorneys. They can charge fees under the rules below, and they tend to carry fewer clients, which can translate into more focused attention on complex or stalled claims.
Accredited attorneys are licensed lawyers admitted to at least one state bar. They follow the same VA fee rules as agents, and they can also take a case into federal court if it goes beyond the Board. Agents and VSO representatives cannot.

Only one representative can be recognized on a particular claim at a time, so appointing a new one automatically revokes the previous appointment.⁴ You do not need to formally fire the old one first.

What a Claims Agent Can Charge You

The fee rules are the part most veterans get wrong, and they are strict.

Nothing for an Initial Claim

Agents cannot charge you anything for help with an initial claim. That includes gathering documents, filling out forms, and filing the application. The prohibition is absolute. Under the Appeals Modernization Act framework, fees become permissible only after the VA has issued its initial decision.⁵ If you were denied and are now hiring an agent for a supplemental claim, higher-level review, or Board appeal, that is when paid work can lawfully begin. Anyone charging you a flat fee or “administrative fee” for help with a first-time filing is out of bounds, regardless of what they call it.⁶

How Much Is Reasonable

Fees can be structured as a flat rate, hourly rate, percentage of past-due benefits recovered, or some combination, and every fee has to be reasonable. Federal regulations give two bright lines to make that concrete:⁵

20 percent or less of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable, provided the agent represented you through the date of the favorable decision.
More than 33⅓ percent is presumed unreasonable. The agent would need clear and convincing evidence to justify going above that, which is a steep burden.

Anything between 20 and 33⅓ percent sits in a gray zone the VA evaluates case by case, looking at complexity, time spent, skill required, and the result.

Direct Pay from the VA

A common arrangement is “direct-pay,” where the VA withholds part of your past-due benefits award and sends it to the agent. Direct-pay fees cannot exceed 20 percent and must be contingent on a favorable outcome. The agreement has to be in writing, signed by both of you, and filed with the agency of original jurisdiction within 30 days. Non-direct-pay agreements get filed with the Office of General Counsel instead.⁵

Costs the Fee Won’t Cover

The agent’s fee is only part of what you may end up paying. Building a strong case often requires outside evidence, and those costs typically fall on you. The most common is a nexus letter, an independent medical opinion linking your disability to service. These run roughly $500 to $3,000 or more depending on the complexity of the condition, the physician’s specialty, and whether you need rush processing. A straightforward single-condition letter sits on the lower end; a multi-condition evaluation with diagnostic testing pushes toward the top.

After the initial decision, expenses the agent incurs on your behalf, such as ordering private medical records, are governed by your fee agreement. Read the agreement closely and ask what counts as a reimbursable expense versus what is baked into the percentage or flat fee.

How to Appoint a Claims Agent

To formally authorize an agent, you and the agent both complete and sign VA Form 21-22a, “Appointment of Attorney or Agent as Claimant’s Representative.”⁷ You can fill it out online or download the PDF, and it goes to your regional VA office for filing in your claims folder.⁴ Without a signed 21-22a, the VA will not share your information with the agent, and the agent has no obligation to represent you. If you are incompetent or a minor without a guardian, a spouse, parent, or other relative can sign for you.

Verify Accreditation Before You Sign Anything

Before you share medical records or sign a fee agreement, confirm the person is actually accredited. The VA Office of General Counsel maintains a public search tool where you can look up any agent by name or location. If someone does not appear in that database, they are not authorized to represent veterans, whatever credentials they advertise.⁸

Unaccredited “claims consultants” do operate in this space, sometimes charging flat fees for work that looks professional but sits entirely outside the VA’s regulatory framework. Those individuals are not bound by the fee limits, conduct standards, or oversight described here. If something goes wrong, you have no formal complaint process and no regulator to turn to. A 30-second search eliminates that risk. If you need to confirm status directly, you can also email ogcaccreditationmailbox@va.gov.⁹

Switching or Firing an Agent

You can revoke a power of attorney at any time, for any reason. Either file a written revocation with the VA, or simply appoint someone new by submitting a fresh Form 21-22a (for another agent or attorney) or Form 21-22 (for a VSO). The new appointment cancels the old one automatically.⁴

Fees are the messier part. If you fire an agent before a decision issues on your claim, the agent may still be entitled to a reasonable fee reflecting the work they actually performed. The regulation looks for a fee that “fairly and accurately reflects” the agent’s contribution to whatever benefits are eventually awarded, weighing complexity, time spent, and the reason for the discharge.⁵ Switching sooner rather than later limits the exposure, but expect some negotiation over what the outgoing agent is owed.

Filing a Complaint

If an agent charges improper fees, misrepresents your case, or otherwise falls short of the standard of conduct required for accreditation, you can file a formal complaint. Agents are required to act with reasonable diligence, provide competent assistance, be truthful with both you and the VA, and avoid misleading or coercive behavior.¹⁰

For a straight violation of VA conduct standards, submit a written complaint with VA Form 3288 to the Office of General Counsel at 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. If you believe the conduct also breaks other laws, particularly around pension benefits, you can route the complaint through the Federal Trade Commission’s system, which is linked from the VA’s accreditation webpage.¹⁰ Substantiated complaints can result in suspension or permanent cancellation of accreditation, and the listed grounds include charging excessive fees, presenting fraudulent claims, and violating VA regulations.¹¹ Wrongfully withholding any part of a benefit owed to a veteran is also a federal crime carrying up to a year in prison, a fine, or both.¹²

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5904 – Recognition of Agents and Attorneys Generally
2
eCFR. 38 CFR Part 1 – Expanded Access to Computerized Veterans Claims Records by Accredited Representatives
3
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Get Help From a VA Accredited Representative or VSO
4
eCFR. 38 CFR 14.631 – Powers of Attorney; Cross-References
5
eCFR. 38 CFR 14.636 – Payment of Fees for Representation by Agents and Attorneys
6
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Tips on Fee Agreements for Veterans Claims
7
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 21-22a
8
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. OGC – Accreditation Search
9
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of General Counsel – Accreditation, Discipline, and Fees Program
10
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to File a Complaint Regarding Representation
11
eCFR. 38 CFR 14.633 – Termination of Accreditation or Authority to Provide Representation
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5905 – Penalty for Certain Acts