Category 01 · The free path

VSOs and VA.gov: the free way to file

We sell software, and this is still the page we would send a friend to first. A VA-accredited VSO representative can file, argue, and appeal on your behalf at no cost — the only paid category that matches that is a law firm taking a percentage. If you read one category page here, read this one.

Cost
$0 — always
Represents you?
Yes — accredited
Covers appeals?
Yes
Cut of back pay
None
Appointment form
VA Form 21-22
Last reviewed
Sep 3, 2026
Two free routes

Represent yourself, or appoint someone accredited

Both cost nothing. The difference is who handles the correspondence with VA and who argues if the answer comes back wrong.

Route A · File it yourself on VA.gov

  1. Create or sign in to your VA.gov account. It is your account — never hand the credentials to a company.
  2. Start Form 21-526EZ, the application for disability compensation.
  3. List each condition and upload your evidence — treatment records, statements, any private opinions.
  4. Track status, attend any C&P exam VA schedules, and read the decision letter carefully when it lands.
VA's own instructions ↗

Route B · Appoint an accredited VSO

  1. Find a recognized organization or a county/state veterans service office near you.
  2. Check the individual rep's name against VA's OGC accreditation list before your appointment.
  3. File VA Form 21-22 to appoint the organization — 21-22a for an accredited individual.
  4. Bring your records, your symptom history, and your questions. Come prepared and you get more out of the hour.
Find a VSO near you
Source: VA — How to file a disability claim · Verified Sep 3, 2026Source: VA Form 21-22 — Appointment of VSO as claimant's representative · Verified Sep 3, 2026Source: VA — Get help filing your claim (accredited representatives) · Verified Sep 3, 2026

What the free path covers

  • Representation of record. A rep who can correspond with VA, receive your file, and act on your instruction.
  • Filing and evidence development. Getting the claim in correctly, with the records VA needs attached.
  • Appeals. Higher-level review, supplemental claims, and Board appeals — at no cost, and no cut of back pay.
  • Local knowledge. Many county and state offices know their regional office's habits better than any national brand does.

What it honestly does not

  • Control VA's clock. No representative, paid or free, sets the timeline.
  • Guarantee attention. Caseloads vary. Some offices are excellent; some are stretched thin and slow to call back.
  • Write your medical opinion. That is a clinician's job, and it stays a clinician's job.
  • Read 3,000 pages with you. A rep will summarize; they generally will not sit through your whole C-file line by line. That gap is where tools like ours are useful — and it is a small gap, not a reason to skip the rep.
Print this. Bring it to the call.

Ten questions to ask before you pay anyone

These apply to us too. If a company will not answer any one of them in writing, that is your answer.

  1. Are you accredited by VA to represent me? If not, who actually files my claim?Only accredited attorneys, agents, and VSO reps may represent you. Everyone else — including us — is a tool or a service you use while you represent yourself.
  2. What is the total price in dollars, and what triggers it?Ask for a number, not a range and not a "depends." If the price is not published where you can read it before you talk to a salesperson, ask why.
  3. Is any part of the fee tied to my back pay or my monthly increase?A fee stated as a multiple of your first monthly increase is still a percentage of your benefits. Do the multiplication before you sign.
  4. What happens to the fee if my claim is denied?Get the answer in the agreement, not from the person selling it to you.
  5. Can I cancel? When, how, and what do I get back?Ask what happens to work already delivered, and whether cancelling requires a phone call.
  6. Who writes the medical opinion, are they licensed, and can they decline to write one?A clinician who cannot say no to writing an opinion is not giving an independent opinion — and VA weighs opinions on their reasoning, not their letterhead.
  7. What am I signing? Arbitration, assignment of benefits, recurring charges?Read the whole agreement. Ask for a copy to keep before you sign it, not after.
  8. Where does my C-file go, who reads it, and can I delete it?Your file holds your medical history. Ask about retention, human review, and deletion — and ask it of every vendor, including software.
  9. Did you tell me, unprompted, that accredited VSOs do this for free?Anyone charging you should be able to explain what you are buying that the free path does not give you.
  10. Can you promise, in writing, what you will never do — including contacting VA as me?A clear list of limits is a better signal than a long list of promises.
FAQ

About the free path

Is VSO help really free?

Yes. Recognized Veterans Service Organizations provide accredited representation at no charge, including on appeals. There is no fee, no percentage, and no back-end billing. If someone claiming to be a VSO asks for money, you are not talking to a VSO.

How do I appoint one?

VA Form 21-22 appoints an organization; VA Form 21-22a appoints an accredited individual. You can change or revoke the appointment later, and you can file the form online.

What are the real downsides?

Availability and depth vary by office and by person. Response times can be slow, and some reps carry hundreds of cases. The honest answer is that a great VSO rep beats every paid option in this market, and a stretched one leaves you doing more of the reading yourself. Either way, appointing one costs nothing and you can change reps.

Can I file with no representative at all?

Yes. Plenty of veterans file 21-526EZ on VA.gov themselves and never appoint anyone. That is the category our software supports — and the reason we keep saying a VSO is free is that most people should at least talk to one first.

Start with the free option

Our directory of accredited VSOs is free to use and does not require an account. Yes, that is the CTA on our own comparison page.

Find a free VSO