VA Form 21-22

Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative

Power of AttorneyOfficial VA form on VA.gov

Who fills it

veteran

Journey phase

Before You File

Estimated time

15-30 minutes including selecting a VSO.

When to file

BEFORE filing 21-526EZ if possible. The VSO can review your draft and catch errors that would delay or deny your claim.

You want a free, accredited representative to help with your VA claim. Most veterans should file this before any claim because VSOs review your filing for completeness, accompany you to C&P appointments, and handle communications with VA.

Gather before you start

—Your full legal name, SSN, VA File Number, address, phone

—Name of the VSO you want to appoint (DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA, AMVETS, MOPH, PVA, etc.)

—County and state where you live (some VSOs assign reps by county)

—Decision on whether to authorize disclosure of (a) drug/alcohol abuse, (b) HIV, (c) sickle cell, (d) MST records to the VSO - separate consent boxes

Attach with the form

—None required. The VSO will counter-sign before filing.

Section I - Veteran/Claimant Identification

1 field

Blocks 1-8Name, SSN, VA File Number, DOB, address, phone, emailPII

Match exactly to your VA records. The 21-22 attaches the VSO POA to your VA file.

Example

(use legal name from DD-214)

Common mistakes

Mismatched name/SSN with VA records - VSO POA fails to attach.

Section II - Service Organization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 9Name of the VSO you are appointing

Pick ONE accredited VSO. Major nationals: DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA (Vietnam Vets), AMVETS, MOPH (Purple Heart), PVA (Paralyzed), MOAA, FRA, NVAA. State VSOs (e.g., Texas Veterans Commission) also accept POAs. You can switch VSOs at any time by filing a new 21-22 - but only ONE VSO at a time.

Example

e.g., Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

Common mistakes

Picking a VSO without checking accreditation - only VA-accredited VSOs can represent you. Check at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.
Filing two 21-22s simultaneously - the second one revokes the first; you only have one VSO at a time.
Picking a VSO across the country when a local one is more accessible - in-person help during C&P prep is easier with a local rep.

Authority

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

Section III - Sensitive Records Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Blocks 10a-10dAuthorize disclosure of sensitive records to VSO

Four separate yes/no boxes for: (a) Drug abuse records, (b) Alcohol abuse records, (c) HIV records, (d) Sickle cell anemia records. By default these are NOT released to the VSO. Check each box you want released. For most claims involving these topics, checking YES helps the VSO advocate effectively. NOTE: MST records (38 USC 1720D) have separate special protections.

Example

Check yes/no for each

Common mistakes

Defaulting all to NO when those records are central to your claim - VSO can't fully advocate without them.
Defaulting all to YES without considering privacy - if you don't want VSO to see, say so.

Authority

38 USC 1720D - MST counseling and care without regard to service connection.

Section IV - Fee Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 11Authorization for VSO to charge a fee

VSOs do NOT charge fees for representation - this box is essentially a formality (you're saying "no, this VSO does not charge me"). If a VSO ever asks for a fee, that's a red flag - report to VA Office of General Counsel.

Example

No - VSO does not charge

Common mistakes

Confusing VSO with attorney/agent representation - attorneys/agents can charge under 21-22a; VSOs cannot under 21-22.
Paying a VSO who asks for a fee - that VSO is not legitimate. File a complaint with VA OGC.

Authority

38 CFR 14.636 - Attorney/agent fee rules and 33% cap on past-due benefits.

Section V - Signature

1 field

Blocks 12-13Veteran signature, date, witness (optional)PII

Sign and date. The VSO will counter-sign in their own block. POA is effective when both parties have signed.

Example

(signature/date when filing)

Common mistakes

Forgetting to sign - VSO returns for completion.
Submitting before VSO has counter-signed - invalid POA until both sign.
Believing POA is irrevocable - you can revoke any time by filing a new 21-22 / 21-22a or by writing a revocation letter.

Statutory & regulatory authority

38 CFR 14.626 - Who may represent claimants before VA.

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

38 CFR 14.631 - Form, content, and revocation of POA appointments.

38 USC 5101 - Standardized form requirement.

VA Form 21-22

Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative

Power of AttorneyOfficial VA form on VA.gov

Who fills it

veteran

Journey phase

Before You File

Estimated time

15-30 minutes including selecting a VSO.

When to file

BEFORE filing 21-526EZ if possible. The VSO can review your draft and catch errors that would delay or deny your claim.

Gather before you start

—Your full legal name, SSN, VA File Number, address, phone

—Name of the VSO you want to appoint (DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA, AMVETS, MOPH, PVA, etc.)

—County and state where you live (some VSOs assign reps by county)

—Decision on whether to authorize disclosure of (a) drug/alcohol abuse, (b) HIV, (c) sickle cell, (d) MST records to the VSO - separate consent boxes

Attach with the form

—None required. The VSO will counter-sign before filing.

Section I - Veteran/Claimant Identification

1 field

Blocks 1-8Name, SSN, VA File Number, DOB, address, phone, emailPII

Match exactly to your VA records. The 21-22 attaches the VSO POA to your VA file.

Example

(use legal name from DD-214)

Common mistakes

Mismatched name/SSN with VA records - VSO POA fails to attach.

Section II - Service Organization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 9Name of the VSO you are appointing

Example

e.g., Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

Common mistakes

Picking a VSO without checking accreditation - only VA-accredited VSOs can represent you. Check at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.
Filing two 21-22s simultaneously - the second one revokes the first; you only have one VSO at a time.
Picking a VSO across the country when a local one is more accessible - in-person help during C&P prep is easier with a local rep.

Authority

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

Section III - Sensitive Records Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Blocks 10a-10dAuthorize disclosure of sensitive records to VSO

Example

Check yes/no for each

Common mistakes

Defaulting all to NO when those records are central to your claim - VSO can't fully advocate without them.
Defaulting all to YES without considering privacy - if you don't want VSO to see, say so.

Authority

38 USC 1720D - MST counseling and care without regard to service connection.

Section IV - Fee Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 11Authorization for VSO to charge a fee

Example

No - VSO does not charge

Common mistakes

Confusing VSO with attorney/agent representation - attorneys/agents can charge under 21-22a; VSOs cannot under 21-22.
Paying a VSO who asks for a fee - that VSO is not legitimate. File a complaint with VA OGC.

Authority

38 CFR 14.636 - Attorney/agent fee rules and 33% cap on past-due benefits.

Section V - Signature

1 field

Blocks 12-13Veteran signature, date, witness (optional)PII

Sign and date. The VSO will counter-sign in their own block. POA is effective when both parties have signed.

Example

(signature/date when filing)

Common mistakes

Forgetting to sign - VSO returns for completion.
Submitting before VSO has counter-signed - invalid POA until both sign.
Believing POA is irrevocable - you can revoke any time by filing a new 21-22 / 21-22a or by writing a revocation letter.

Statutory & regulatory authority

38 CFR 14.626 - Who may represent claimants before VA.

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

38 CFR 14.631 - Form, content, and revocation of POA appointments.

38 USC 5101 - Standardized form requirement.

VA Form 21-22

Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative

Power of AttorneyOfficial VA form on VA.gov

Who fills it

veteran

Journey phase

Before You File

Estimated time

15-30 minutes including selecting a VSO.

When to file

BEFORE filing 21-526EZ if possible. The VSO can review your draft and catch errors that would delay or deny your claim.

Gather before you start

—Your full legal name, SSN, VA File Number, address, phone

—Name of the VSO you want to appoint (DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA, AMVETS, MOPH, PVA, etc.)

—County and state where you live (some VSOs assign reps by county)

—Decision on whether to authorize disclosure of (a) drug/alcohol abuse, (b) HIV, (c) sickle cell, (d) MST records to the VSO - separate consent boxes

Attach with the form

—None required. The VSO will counter-sign before filing.

Section I - Veteran/Claimant Identification

1 field

Blocks 1-8Name, SSN, VA File Number, DOB, address, phone, emailPII

Match exactly to your VA records. The 21-22 attaches the VSO POA to your VA file.

Example

(use legal name from DD-214)

Common mistakes

Mismatched name/SSN with VA records - VSO POA fails to attach.

Section II - Service Organization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 9Name of the VSO you are appointing

Example

e.g., Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

Common mistakes

Picking a VSO without checking accreditation - only VA-accredited VSOs can represent you. Check at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.
Filing two 21-22s simultaneously - the second one revokes the first; you only have one VSO at a time.
Picking a VSO across the country when a local one is more accessible - in-person help during C&P prep is easier with a local rep.

Authority

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

Section III - Sensitive Records Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Blocks 10a-10dAuthorize disclosure of sensitive records to VSO

Example

Check yes/no for each

Common mistakes

Defaulting all to NO when those records are central to your claim - VSO can't fully advocate without them.
Defaulting all to YES without considering privacy - if you don't want VSO to see, say so.

Authority

38 USC 1720D - MST counseling and care without regard to service connection.

Section IV - Fee Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 11Authorization for VSO to charge a fee

Example

No - VSO does not charge

Common mistakes

Confusing VSO with attorney/agent representation - attorneys/agents can charge under 21-22a; VSOs cannot under 21-22.
Paying a VSO who asks for a fee - that VSO is not legitimate. File a complaint with VA OGC.

Authority

38 CFR 14.636 - Attorney/agent fee rules and 33% cap on past-due benefits.

Section V - Signature

1 field

Blocks 12-13Veteran signature, date, witness (optional)PII

Sign and date. The VSO will counter-sign in their own block. POA is effective when both parties have signed.

Example

(signature/date when filing)

Common mistakes

Forgetting to sign - VSO returns for completion.
Submitting before VSO has counter-signed - invalid POA until both sign.
Believing POA is irrevocable - you can revoke any time by filing a new 21-22 / 21-22a or by writing a revocation letter.

Statutory & regulatory authority

38 CFR 14.626 - Who may represent claimants before VA.

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

38 CFR 14.631 - Form, content, and revocation of POA appointments.

38 USC 5101 - Standardized form requirement.

VA Form 21-22

Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative

Power of AttorneyOfficial VA form on VA.gov

Who fills it

veteran

Journey phase

Before You File

Estimated time

15-30 minutes including selecting a VSO.

When to file

BEFORE filing 21-526EZ if possible. The VSO can review your draft and catch errors that would delay or deny your claim.

Gather before you start

—Your full legal name, SSN, VA File Number, address, phone

—Name of the VSO you want to appoint (DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA, AMVETS, MOPH, PVA, etc.)

—County and state where you live (some VSOs assign reps by county)

—Decision on whether to authorize disclosure of (a) drug/alcohol abuse, (b) HIV, (c) sickle cell, (d) MST records to the VSO - separate consent boxes

Attach with the form

—None required. The VSO will counter-sign before filing.

Section I - Veteran/Claimant Identification

1 field

Blocks 1-8Name, SSN, VA File Number, DOB, address, phone, emailPII

Match exactly to your VA records. The 21-22 attaches the VSO POA to your VA file.

Example

(use legal name from DD-214)

Common mistakes

Mismatched name/SSN with VA records - VSO POA fails to attach.

Section II - Service Organization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 9Name of the VSO you are appointing

Example

e.g., Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

Common mistakes

Picking a VSO without checking accreditation - only VA-accredited VSOs can represent you. Check at va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation.
Filing two 21-22s simultaneously - the second one revokes the first; you only have one VSO at a time.
Picking a VSO across the country when a local one is more accessible - in-person help during C&P prep is easier with a local rep.

Authority

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

Section III - Sensitive Records Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Blocks 10a-10dAuthorize disclosure of sensitive records to VSO

Example

Check yes/no for each

Common mistakes

Defaulting all to NO when those records are central to your claim - VSO can't fully advocate without them.
Defaulting all to YES without considering privacy - if you don't want VSO to see, say so.

Authority

38 USC 1720D - MST counseling and care without regard to service connection.

Section IV - Fee Authorization

1 field · 1 citation

Block 11Authorization for VSO to charge a fee

Example

No - VSO does not charge

Common mistakes

Confusing VSO with attorney/agent representation - attorneys/agents can charge under 21-22a; VSOs cannot under 21-22.
Paying a VSO who asks for a fee - that VSO is not legitimate. File a complaint with VA OGC.

Authority

38 CFR 14.636 - Attorney/agent fee rules and 33% cap on past-due benefits.

Section V - Signature

1 field

Blocks 12-13Veteran signature, date, witness (optional)PII

Sign and date. The VSO will counter-sign in their own block. POA is effective when both parties have signed.

Example

(signature/date when filing)

Common mistakes

Forgetting to sign - VSO returns for completion.
Submitting before VSO has counter-signed - invalid POA until both sign.
Believing POA is irrevocable - you can revoke any time by filing a new 21-22 / 21-22a or by writing a revocation letter.

Statutory & regulatory authority

38 CFR 14.626 - Who may represent claimants before VA.

38 CFR 14.629 - Accreditation requirements.

38 CFR 14.631 - Form, content, and revocation of POA appointments.

38 USC 5101 - Standardized form requirement.