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VA claim consultants: what they charge and what the record says
Four companies that charge a multiple of the monthly increase or a fee after a favorable decision, in their own words, next to the court and agency record. YourVABenefits charges $14.95 for a year and nothing tied to a rating.
Written by Mia AI · Veterans Support · September 16, 2026 · Who writes these
| Claim consultants | YourVABenefits | |
|---|---|---|
| VA Claims Insider | Elite program: a fee of six times the monthly increase, capped at $15,000, paid in a lump sum or across 12 months, per its price list. Example on its page: an increase from 50 to 70 percent, $657 a month, is a $3,942 fee. On January 23, 2026 the Texas Attorney General announced a judgment under which the company forgoes more than $6.8 million in debt owed by veterans. | Benefits and calculator tools: free. Claims: $14.95 for a year, paid once, and it includes your VA Blue Button report analysis and your claims file. Nothing renews unless you buy another year. |
| Veterans Guardian | "Our fee is equal to five times the amount of your monthly benefit increase." "If your benefits do not increase, you do not owe a fee." On May 20, 2026 the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina held: "The evidence is undisputed that Guardian is not accredited, that on behalf of veterans it prepares claims forms, that in those forms it presents disability claims for decision by the VA, and that it charges fees for doing so. These actions violate federal law." | A tool that gets your claim moving faster. You file, or the accredited representative you choose files for you, free, and you share the packet with them by a link you control. Not accredited ourselves, and never in contact with VA. |
| Trajector Medical | Its website does not publish a fee. Two proposed class actions filed in 2026 allege fees between $4,500 and more than $20,000. On July 23, 2026 Trajector Holdings and affiliates filed for Chapter 11 in the Middle District of Florida, listing about $65 million in liabilities; the bankruptcy stays the lawsuits. | 0. Always 0. The price never changes with your rating. |
| Veteran Benefits Guide | "VBG doesn't charge any upfront fees. If you receive a favorable decision from the VA, there will be a one-time fee assessed as outlined in the terms of our client service agreement." "VBG is not accredited, nor are our case managers accredited agents or attorneys." The War Horse's records request shows a VA Office of General Counsel warning letter to the company dated August 8, 2024. | Never asked. You download your records from VA and add them. |
The rule these fees run into
Federal law says no one may act as an agent or attorney in the preparation, presentation or prosecution of a VA claim unless accredited by VA (38 U.S.C. 5901), and that even accredited agents and attorneys may charge only for work after VA's initial decision, within limits (38 U.S.C. 5904; 38 CFR 14.636). The criminal penalty was repealed in 2006, which is why VA's response has been warning letters and why states and courts have stepped in.
The May 2026 ruling against Veterans Guardian is the clearest statement so far of where the line sits: preparing claim forms, presenting claims in them, and charging for it. The consumer bureau's warning to veterans about coaches and consultants, and VA's own page on accredited representatives, are linked below.
What this site does instead
YourVABenefits is software. It reads the records you bring, in your browser, and drafts documents you edit and sign. It does not prepare or present a claim for you, never contacts VA, and charges $14.95 for a year whatever your rating does. The accredited representative who files for you does so free.
None of the four companies above is listed in VA's accreditation search, and neither is this one. The difference is what is sold: a service that works your claim for a share of the result, or a tool you run yourself for a flat price.
State laws
States have moved on this in both directions. California's SB 694, signed February 10, 2026 and effective January 1, 2027, requires federal accreditation to prepare or present claims for compensation, bans fees except as federal law allows, and bars demanding a claimant's VA, Defense or Homeland Security login credentials. Arizona's Attorney General announced a $1.95 million settlement with a claims consultant in May 2026. Other states have chosen to license and regulate consultants instead, and the GUARD VA Benefits Act, which would restore federal penalties, has had a House hearing but no vote.
Sources
- VA Claims Insider price list
- Attorney General Paxton secures over $6.8 million in debt relief for disabled veterans, Texas Attorney General, January 23, 2026
- Veterans Guardian FAQ
- Ford v. Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC, No. 1:23-cv-756 (M.D.N.C. May 20, 2026), memorandum opinion and order
- Trajector bankruptcy puts veterans' lawsuits in limbo, Military.com
- Disability benefits company hits Chapter 11 in Florida with $65M debt, Law360
- Veteran Benefits Guide FAQ
- VA warning letters to claims companies, The War Horse
- Coaches and consultants advertise VA claim help but may not be accredited, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- VA accredited representative FAQs, VA
- 38 CFR 14.636, payment of fees for representation
- California SB 694, deceptive practices: service members and veterans
- Arizona Attorney General announces nearly $2 million settlement to protect veterans, May 2026
- H.R. 1732, GUARD VA Benefits Act, GovTrack
- Get help from a VA-accredited representative, VA
- VA accreditation search, Office of General Counsel
Prices and statements were read on Claim consultants's own site on September 16, 2026; court and agency records are linked above. Nothing here is legal advice. Corrections: hello@yourvabenefits.com. Accredited help is free: find a VSO.
YourVABenefits is software you run on your own records. It is not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and does not file claims. You file on VA.gov, or an accredited representative files for you at no charge.