The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a pilot project with the American Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporationto provide free assistance to a targeted group of unrepresented veterans who request help gathering and obtaining evidence required by law to support their disability claims.
The development of the claim is often the longest part of the process that determines whether a veteran is entitled to VA compensation, the department noted, adding that those steps can take over 200 days in the rating decision process.
The VA said the pilot would offer pro bono attorney assistance to veterans with claims pending at the St. Petersburg and Chicago Regional Offices who do not currently have an authorized representative.
