VSOs are accredited veterans who help other veterans navigate VA claims, benefits, and appeals. They’re free. They sit across the table from you. They’ve filed the paperwork themselves and know how it works.
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A VSO is a Veteran Service Officer — an accredited veteran (or family member) trained to help other veterans navigate the VA. They’ll sit with you, fill out forms with you, and follow up.
They are not lawyers. They are not VA employees. They’re accredited by the VA to represent Veterans in benefits and claims processes. Most have done it for themselves first.
They help with disability claims, appeals, pension applications, healthcare enrollment, dependency claims, burial benefits, and parts of the VA website that don’t make sense.
Accredited VSO assistance is available to Veterans at no cost.
Accredited VSOs can help you navigate VA claims and benefits at no cost to you.
For-profit “claim consultants” are NOT VSOs — many are unaccredited.
Verify any rep at va.gov/ogc/accreditation.asp before you sign anything.
VSOs see Veterans every day who arrive empty-handed. They have ways to get records, recover lost DD-214s and pull claim history. Don’t wait until the folder is “ready.”
Lost? VSOs can request a replacement.
Or a list of what you remember.
Name, doses, why — a phone photo is OK.
Diagnosed or not — bring all of it.
A page on what’s happening, in your words.
Family or fellow vets — for harder claims.