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All information & resources here are free. Optional accredited representation is a paid service - and upfront fees for an initial VA claim are never allowed.

Crisis Line: 988702-992-4883
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About

Our Accredited Agents

When a claim gets complicated, who is in your corner matters more than most veterans realize. We work with VA-accredited professionals, real credentialed people held to federal standards, not unlicensed consultants. Accreditation means the VA has vetted them and can hold them accountable for how they treat you. That is the difference between someone who is allowed to represent you and someone simply taking your money.

A VA-accredited benefits agent reviewing claim paperwork with a senior veteran
What it means

What is a “VA-accredited” agent?

It is not a marketing badge, and it is not something a company can buy. Accreditation is a status granted by the VA itself, and it is the single clearest sign that someone is qualified and accountable to help with your claim. To earn it, a representative must pass a background check, meet character and fitness standards, and stay current on the law. Anyone who is not accredited is not permitted to represent you before the VA, no matter what their website says.

Recognized by the VA

Accredited agents and attorneys are formally recognized by the VA to assist with claims - a status that must be earned and maintained.

Trained on the rules

They must pass a written examination and complete continuing legal education, so they stay current on the regulations that decide your claim.

Bound by standards of conduct

They are held to federal standards of conduct under 38 CFR 14.632 - including honest dealing, competence, and permitted-fee rules - not just good intentions.

Accountable and verifiable

Every accreditation number can be looked up in a public VA database - and if abused, revoked. That accountability is exactly what protects you.

Comparison: a professional credentialed office versus a disorganized pop-up operation

The difference between a credentialed office and an unlicensed pop-up is not cosmetic - it is the difference between accountability and risk.

Senior veteran verifying an agent accreditation number in the VA OGC database on his computer

You do not have to take anyone at their word. The VA maintains a public, searchable database of every accredited representative in the country.

Verify it yourself

How to look up accreditation #45147

We do not ask you to trust us on reputation alone. Here is exactly how to verify our accreditation in the VA's own public database, in just a couple of minutes. We encourage every veteran to do this before working with any representative, including us. If someone cannot be found in that database, that is your signal to walk away.

1

Go to the VA OGC search

Open the VA Office of General Counsel accreditation search at:

VA OGC Accreditation Search
2

Select "Claims Agent" and search by name

Under "Representative Type," choose Claims Agent. In the "Last Name" field, type Thombs. Leave the state blank to search all states, or select Nevada to narrow it.

3

Find accreditation number 45147

The search results will show Albert L. Thombs Jr., Registration Number 45147, located in Henderson, Nevada. The record confirms active accreditation status, meaning the VA has verified the exam, background check, and continuing education are all current.

4

Understand what the record tells you

An active record means this agent passed the VA written exam, cleared a character-and-fitness review, maintains continuing education, and is subject to VA oversight and the federal standards of conduct. If the record showed "Cancelled" or "Suspended," that would be your signal to walk away.

Red flag

If anyone offering VA claims help tells you not to look them up, cannot provide an accreditation number, or gets defensive when you ask - that is the clearest red flag you will ever get. Legitimate professionals welcome verification.

Why it matters

The difference it makes

Plenty of websites and unlicensed 'consultants' will happily take your money to help with a VA claim. Here is why accreditation is the line we will not cross, and why it should be yours too. Unaccredited actors cannot legally represent you, and when something goes wrong, the VA has no way to hold them accountable. Charging illegal fees or mishandling your claim can cost you money, time, and sometimes the benefits themselves.

A VA-accredited agent
  • Recognized and trackable through the VA Office of General Counsel
  • Must pass a written exam testing VA benefits law and CFR knowledge
  • Required to complete continuing legal education every 2 years
  • Fees governed by 38 CFR 14.636 - contingency only on past-due benefits, no upfront charges for initial claims
  • Overseen by the VA OGC - complaints investigated, accreditation can be revoked
  • If something goes wrong, veterans can file a complaint with the VA OGC, which has subpoena power and enforcement authority
  • Must maintain written fee agreements reviewed and approved by the VA
  • Can access VA systems on your behalf to review your claims file
An unaccredited ‘consultant’
  • No VA recognition, no entry in any government database
  • No required training, testing, or competency verification whatsoever
  • No continuing education requirement - may be years out of date
  • Can demand large upfront fees, percentage of total award, or any amount they choose - no VA fee rules apply
  • No government oversight body - complaints go nowhere
  • If they scam you, your only recourse is state consumer protection (slow, underfunded) or civil court (expensive)
  • No fee agreement requirement - many operate on verbal promises or misleading contracts
  • Cannot access VA systems - works from whatever incomplete information you provide

A note on doing it yourself

You never have to hire anyone. Free help is available from accredited Veterans Service Organizations (like the VFW, DAV, or American Legion), and you can file an initial claim entirely on your own through VA.gov. We work with accredited agents for the moments a claim gets complicated - an appeal, a denial, a tangle of evidence - and you want a professional in your corner. Either way, the choice is always yours.

See exactly how fees work

Information only - not legal advice

For information purposes only - this is not legal, financial, or medical advice. The Aging Veteran is a private service and is not part of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits are subject to VA eligibility rules. Always confirm your specifics on va.gov or with a qualified professional.

Two ways to move forward — both free

Have a complicated claim?

Tell us what you are dealing with, in your own words. We will help you understand your options and, if it makes sense, connect you with an accredited professional. There is no cost to ask and no pressure to hire anyone. Whether you move forward with us or handle it yourself, you will leave the conversation knowing more than when you started.

Have a question? Get free information

Ask a question, learn what you may be owed, or find out where you stand. Confidential, free, and no obligation to go any further.

Call 702-992-4883

Ready to hire us? Register

Decided you want us to work your claim? Registering is free — we match you with an accredited advocate and get you started. We cannot begin until you sign VA Form 21-22a, and fees, if any, are always disclosed up front.

It is not too late

There is no age limit. You are not out of the game.

Far too many veterans - older veterans most of all - decide on their own that they are too old, that they waited too long, or that because nobody ever gave them the information they must be out of the game. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you file a disability claim, the VA does not look at your age. There is no age limit and no deadline on filing a first claim, and veterans in their fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond are approved every single day.

That is the entire point of this website: to make you aware of the benefits you are entitled to right now, as an aging veteran, so you can protect your health, protect your family, and protect your benefits. So do not give up, do not talk yourself out of it, and do not wait until you are no longer able to seek care. The best day to start was years ago. The next best day is today.

A veteran in his seventies sitting at his kitchen table with coffee and a legal pad, calmly thinking through his VA benefits

“I’m too old for this.”

There is no age limit on a VA claim. The VA does not look at your age - it looks at whether your condition is connected to your service.

“I waited too long, so I missed my chance.”

There is no deadline to file a first claim. You can file decades after you separated, and your effective date starts protecting you the day you file.

“I never got the information, so I’m out of the game.”

Nobody handed most veterans a list of what they earned. That is exactly why this site exists - the facts are here, in plain language, at no cost.

“I’ll deal with it when I really need care.”

Do not wait until you are too sick to fight for it. Filing while you can still gather records and attend exams is the single biggest advantage you have.

Both options are free · No obligation

Two ways to work with us — both free

Talking to a VA-accredited claims agent costs nothing either way. Pick the one that fits: get answers to your questions, or register to hire us to take on your claim.

Free information — just ask

Tell us what’s going on or what you’d like to know. We’ll read your question and get back to you personally — no cost, no obligation.

A VA-accredited advisor sitting down to help a veteran

Ready to hire us? Register with us

For veterans who’ve decided they want us on their claim — registering is free too, and it does not make you our client or obligate you to anything. Here is exactly how it works:

  • You register. This simply starts the conversation — you are not our client yet, and you owe us nothing.
  • You sign and return VA Form 21-22a. It appoints us as your accredited representative and gives us access to your VA file.
  • Once we have your signed 21-22a and access to your case, we verify everything is in order.

It involves the registration form and signing VA Form 21-22a — by law we can’t accept your claim, work on it, or contact the VA for you until that power of attorney is signed. You decide whether to move forward.

Call us: 702-992-4883

An accredited agent personally reviews every request — we’ll reach out within 48 hours.