Beginning this month, Department of Veterans Affairs websites and social media channels will show the amount of money it is legally obligated to send to VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents who have assisted veterans with their disability claims.
While paying attorneys for their services out of the money owed to the veteran when a claim is granted is nothing new, sharing the data with the public is. And it’s quite striking.
Veterans and survivors have a choice when filing a claim with VA: They can hire a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO), an attorney, or a claims agent who is authorized by VA to represent them, and their family, in matters related to VA benefits. Attorneys and claims agents receive payment for their assistance.
While VA-accredited VSOs assist with preparing and submitting claims for free, some VA-accredited attorneys and claim agents provide services for free on initial claims only (it’s important to note that they may not, by law, charge a fee for initial claims). But most VA-accredited attorneys and claim agents provide their services after VA has decided your initial claim. At this later stage in the claims process, they may charge a fee for their services. VA pays the VA-accredited attorneys and agents fees first out of the veteran’s past-due benefits, often called backpay. These fees cannot exceed 20% of the calculated backpay before any other withholdings (such as military retired pay). If a veteran’s actual backpay after withholdings is not enough to cover the entire attorney/agent fee amount, the difference is paid to the attorney from VA funds.
Every month, VA will post the amount of money it has paid to attorneys and agents during the last 12 months, the monthly average over the last 12 months, and the amount paid during two previous months. The goal is to show veterans where this money goes, why VA pays it and the amount it pays.
In the last 12 months: $394.7 million.
Monthly average over the last 12 months: $32 million.
November 2025: $29.4 million
December 2025: $35.3 million
While VA is now posting data and soon it will break it down by calendar year, state and congressional district. VA believes making this information available to the public is an important step in ensuring veterans have the tools and information they need to make the best decisions regarding their claims.