Before 2008, helping veterans was easy. The VA did not require accreditation. Any veteran could help another veteran prepare and advocate for that veteran. Once I helped a female veteran pro bono. She had served in Vietnam with her brother and had developed cancer. The VA denied the claim completely because she had not been stationed anywhere near an Agent Orange treated location in Vietnam. I filed her appeal and argued that her cancer was exceptionally rare in the United States, and although she was not stationed near an Agent Orange location, she ate the local food, the fish and vegetables that had been exposed to Agent Orange. She received a 100% disability rating and a substantial check for retroactive benefits. The VA provided care from a financial perspective.
Advocacy has changed. Now veterans assisting other veterans with disability benefits must be VA accredited, even if the veteran was not receiving money for that assistance. This is good, but maybe overly protective because now veterans cannot help other veterans prepare and develop their claims without VA accreditation. On the upside, veterans are receiving the best possible representation with the claims process. The bottom line is veterans like to talk to other bets about benefits, helpful tips and recommendations. Bye.
