The current VA benefits process is not working well for many Veterans, who must navigate a complex and arcane disability claims process that often leaves them waiting years to receive their benefits and receiving less than they have earned. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faces a backlog of almost 200,000 claims and a claims inventory of more than 700,000, which is rising daily. And Veterans are often receiving insufficient and rushed medical exams, which result in inaccurate claims applications.
Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) are intended to help Veterans through the claims process, but it is clear they can’t keep up with the demand. There are too few VSO claims representatives and too many with inadequate training. And accredited attorneys, who are costly to hire, are only paid to assist Veterans during the appeals process, so they provide little help on initial applications. Even worse, these attorneys are incentivized to drag out appeals, since they are paid a percentage of the Veteran’s back pay. The longer an appeal takes, the more the attorney is paid.
Veterans deserve to have the choice of using experienced private sector guides to help them navigate the complicated claims process and receive the full benefits they have earned from their service in a timely manner. That is why VBG is advocating for accreditation reform or other legislation that would allow honorable companies like VBG to continue serving Veterans while establishing guardrails that would drive bad actors out of the marketplace and protect Veterans from fraud.
Read about our advocacy efforts in the VBG Newsroom 
