WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), has introduced legislation to protect veterans from unaccredited claims representatives seeking to defraud them of their benefits. The VA Claim Sharks Effective Warnings Act would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to warn veterans more effectively about unaccredited VA claims representatives, or “claim sharks.”

Claim sharks are unaccredited agents or companies that charge veterans fees, usually between $5,000 and $20,000, to help them file their initial VA benefits claims—a service that is supposed to be free to veterans. Unfortunately, because these actors operate outside the bounds of VA regulations, the VA has little authority to go after them. The VA is currently required to warn veterans about unaccredited claims representatives on its websites, but only after veterans log in to their VA benefits accounts. This approach limits the reach and efficacy of the notice requirement, increasing the risk that some veterans may not see the warning until after they have already begun working with unaccredited claims agents.

“Veterans in Maine and across the country rely every day on accredited veteran claims representatives for assistance with filing disability claims,” said King. “However, there are bad actors who proactively prey on veterans, offering assistance while illegally charging them high costs for services that Veterans Service Organizations perform for free. The VA Claim Sharks Effective Warnings Act would require the VA to more aggressively warn veterans about unaccredited agents who are scamming our men and women who served. This commonsense legislation is a simple way to help protect veterans from predatory companies and ensure they receive their earned benefits.”

The VA Claim Sharks Effective Warnings Act would address this shortcoming by requiring the VA to post warnings on its public-facing websites, without requiring veterans to first create or log in to an account. The legislation would also require the VA to include a warning discouraging veterans from sharing their VA account or bank account log-in credentials with unaccredited agents, as many claim sharks deduct their “fees” from veterans’ benefits.

Joining King on the legislation are Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Peter Welch (D-VT).

As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator King has worked to ensure America’s veterans receive their earned benefits and that the VA is properly implementing various programs, such as the PACT Act and the John Scott Hannon Act. In the past, he has cosponsored the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Act to create criminal penalties for organizations that charge unauthorized fees to help veterans file disability claims with the VA – an action prohibited under current law, but one that does not carry any criminal charges. He has also sent letters to VA leadership urging the department to enforce existing protections for veterans filing for disability benefits.

The full text of the bill is available here.

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