This article is on Veteran Service Officers. If you meant to go to the article on Veteran Service Organizations click HERE.Veterans Service Officer (VSO)
A VSO, or Veteran Service Officer, is an individual employed by a Veterans Service Organization whose job it is to:
Educate Veterans and eligible dependents on VA and Veterans benefits; and
Help Veterans and eligible dependents file Disability claims, Appeals, and other benefits.
VSOs are a very powerful FREE resource available to separating service-members and Veterans. If at any point a VSO states they need you to pay them something, please walk away and report them to their organization!
There are various organizations that offer VSOs. A few common ones are American legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
VSOs are NOT allowed to charge for their help!
You do NOT need to be a member of their organization to get their help!
Finding a VSO
To find an accredited VSO, click HERE.
Searching by state will result in a list of accredited VSOs for your entire state, along with contact information and the organization they work with. There are accredited VSOs in all 50 states plus DC, Europe, Guam, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Philippines and the Virgin Islands (as well as an “other” option which seems to be a mix of US and non-US reps).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
You may find it easier to have a VSO close to you, but in most cases you can do everything by phone and email rather than taking the trip in to their office. There is generally nothing preventing you from using a VSO that is not located near you. However, some county specific VSOs may only assist those living within their counties.
When you sign a VA Form 21-22 (allowing a VSO to be your representative) you are appointing the ENTIRE organization NOT the specific person! Meaning, any VSO in that organization can assist you!
How a VSO can Help You
Here are some advantages to using a VSO:
They have a better understanding of the VA laws, regulations, and VA terminology;
Review your records and help you identify conditions to claim;
Give you specific advice for your claim/appeal. As in, if you should or should NOT file for something;
Identify possible Secondary conditions;
Prepare evidence to support your claims/appeals;
Fill out forms or completing them for you - when appropriate;
Submit evidence for you;
Submit your completed claim/appeal for you; and
Can give you updates as to whats going on with your claim; and
Access* your Claim file.
*Chapter/Post level VSOs will be unable to access your claim file.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Evidence uploaded/submitted to the VA CANNOT be viewed by you online.
It may take 2-3 business days before the claim/appeal they filed for you shows up online.
NOT all VSOs are created equal! You may find that some are clueless, impossible to communicate with, etc. That said, you can freely change out your VSO to another organization at ANY time!
Please understand that some Service Officers are volunteers within their organizations who do NOT have the same level of training or experience of 'accredited' VSOs. That said, these volunteers are still certified by their organizations to assist people with their claims and appeals.
Preparing for your First Meeting with a VSO
Before you go into your VSO's office you should call/email ahead of time to schedule an appointment. You can also do virtual/tele appointments.
Bring your paperwork. ALL of it. Like, everything. Don’t want to lug in an entire file box of medical paperwork? Think that your LOD is already filed with the VA? I do NOT care. Bring it!
Voided check [Okay I'm old, but you need to know your bank's routing and checking account number.]
State or Federally issued ID.
Frequently Asked Questions
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While they can, some may refuse to do so. At best, just ask for a summary of an exam instead of a copy.
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VSOs can access the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), the “real-time” tracking system the VA utilizes for disability claims. Among other things, this allows them to look at documents in your c-file, observe when someone has been assigned to work on your claim, and see where your claim is in the development.
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This is certainly a very good question! Unfortunately, the good ones are seemingly all too rare... Best I can say is ask around and see if you can find someone by word of mouth. Alternatively, you can always try and learn things by using the knowledge base and doing things yourself.
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For whatever reason, you cannot see evidence uploaded by your VSO. If you have serious doubts they submitted the evidence to the VA you can make a VERA appointment and ask the VA if they see it.
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Same process as how you got the first one. When VA gets the POA paperwork again, they will automatically cancel the old one and put the new VSO in effect.