You don’t have to pay anyone to file a VA claim. Accredited VSO reps — the folks at DAV, VFW, American Legion and the rest — file your claim and fight the paperwork with you, free. By law, they can’t charge.

Claims agents and lawyers are different. They can charge a fee, but only after VA issues a decision on your claim, and VA has to review that fee to make sure it’s reasonable.

One warning: anyone asking for money up front, or who isn’t on VA’s accredited list, isn’t legally allowed to help with your claim. Check the list first — it takes two minutes.