Virginia Benefits Services Claims Help

Benefits Services is the state office that helps veterans and families file federal claims. DVS describes the work as free help with disability compensation, pension, survivor benefits, and appeals, plus information on federal, state, and local programs. It is not a VA regional office, and it does not decide a rating. DVS says eligibility for most federal and state benefits starts from a discharge other than dishonorable, and it tells veterans to talk with a state veterans services representative before filing. Appointments are booked through the Virginia Veterans Network. Offices cover the state. The Fort Belvoir office is on the installation and requires identification the post will accept. A Fairfax veteran who cannot get on post uses another DVS office or the network booking page. This is assistance. It is not itself a payment, a rating, or a finding that a claim will succeed. Paid help is now regulated. Since July 1, 2026, the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act, Code sections 59.1-614 and 59.1-615 (2026 Acts chapters 602 and 603), bars anyone from being paid for referring a veteran to claims help, from charging any initial or nonrefundable fee, and from guaranteeing an outcome. A paid consultant needs a signed written agreement before doing any work, can be paid only out of an increase actually awarded, and is capped at five times the monthly increase. No one may be paid for a claim filed within a year of release from active duty unless the veteran signs a waiver of the free help available in that year. The consultant must hand over a written notice that DVS and veterans service organizations may do the same work free. A violation is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The Act does not change the rules for VA-accredited agents and attorneys.