A VSO is a Veterans Service Organization: a nonprofit, in many cases congressionally chartered, that serves veterans and their families. VSOs recognized by the VA can have their representatives accredited to prepare, present, and prosecute VA claims, and that representation is free to the veteran.

VSO representatives handle the claims lane end to end: gathering what the claim needs, filing it, communicating with the VA, and representing the veteran through decisions and appeals. Because recognized VSOs do not charge for claims representation, they are the baseline every veteran should know exists. Any paid alternative is a choice a veteran makes with the free option on the table, and any honest description of the claims ecosystem names that option plainly.

A VSO representative's accreditation, like an attorney's or claims agent's, is verifiable in the VA Office of General Counsel's public database.